VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

CME Group Inc.

CME · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
81/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into CME Group Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CME analysis

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

LPLA · Nasdaq

Market cap (USD)$29.9B
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
79/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into LPL Financial Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LPLA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 79 / 100 for LPL Financial Holdings Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform).
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

CME Group Inc.

Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)

Market

Exchange-traded derivatives (futures and options) trading and central counterparty clearing; plus electronic cash markets matching (U.S. Treasuries/repo, spot FX) tied to CME platforms

Geography

Global (core U.S. footprint with international participation)

Customer

Institutional and professional traders; commercial hedgers; banks; broker-dealers; futures commission merchants (FCMs); asset managers; proprietary trading firms; governments and central banks

Role

Market operator (exchange/venue) + central counterparty clearing provider

Revenue share

81.4%

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Advisor Platform

Market

Advisor-mediated wealth management platform (independent broker-dealer + RIA custody/clearing)

Geography

United States

Customer

Financial advisors and financial institutions

Role

Platform / broker-dealer / custodian

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
LPLA - Nasdaq
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$29.9B
Sector
Financials
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Advisor Platform
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-25% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
81 / 100
79 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs General

CME Group Inc. strengths

Clearing SettlementConcession LicenseBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardDistribution Control

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingOperational ExcellenceCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

CME Group Inc. segments

Full profile >

Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)

Oligopoly

81.4%

Market Data and Information Services

Monopoly

11.6%

Access, Connectivity and Other Exchange Services

Monopoly

7%

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.