VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs Live Nation Entertainment, 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)$99.2B
Gross margin (TTM)86.1%
Operating margin (TTM)65%
Net margin (TTM)58.6%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
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

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

LYV · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$33.7B
Gross margin (TTM)46.2%
Operating margin (TTM)4.7%
Net margin (TTM)3.7%
SectorCommunication Services
IndustryEntertainment
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-04
Moat score
84/ 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 Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LYV analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. leads (84 / 100 vs 81 / 100 for CME Group Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. has 3 segments (82.2% in Concerts).
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. has 6 across 3.

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%

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

Concerts

Market

Live music concert promotion, festival production, and music venue operations

Geography

Global

Customer

Artists/agents (supply) and fans (end-users); venues and festivals; corporate partners

Role

Promoter + venue operator

Revenue share

82.2%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
LYV - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$99.2B
$33.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
86.1%
46.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
65%
4.7%
Net margin (TTM)
58.6%
3.7%
Sector
Financials
Communication Services
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Entertainment
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Concerts
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
55%-65% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
3,600
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
81 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Supply, Demand, Network
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkData Workflow Lockin

CME Group Inc. strengths

Clearing SettlementConcession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointDe Facto StandardDistribution ControlSwitching Costs General

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityService Field NetworkLong Term ContractsScope Economies

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%

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Concerts

Oligopoly

82.2%

Ticketing

Quasi-Monopoly

12.9%

Sponsorship & Advertising

Competitive

5.2%

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.