VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs Martin Marietta Materials, 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)$97.5B
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

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.

MLM · NYSE

Market cap (USD)$37.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorMaterials
IndustryConstruction Materials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
78/ 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 Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MLM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 78 / 100 for Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. has 3 segments (52.4% in East Group).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. has 4 across 2.

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%

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.

East Group

Market

Construction aggregates and asphalt products (crushed stone, sand & gravel; asphalt) in local/regional markets

Geography

United States (East/Southeast and adjacent regions)

Customer

Infrastructure agencies, construction contractors, and downstream materials producers (asphalt/ready-mix)

Role

Quarry/mining operator and building materials producer/distributor

Revenue share

52.4%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
MLM - NYSE
Market cap (USD)
$97.5B
$37.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
86.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
65%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
58.6%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Materials
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Construction Materials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
East Group
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
81 / 100
78 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Supply, Financial
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Benchmark Pricing Power

CME Group Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementConcession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostIP Choke PointData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardDistribution ControlSwitching Costs General

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityGeographic NaturalCapex Knowhow Scale

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%

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. segments

Full profile >

East Group

Oligopoly

52.4%

West Group

Oligopoly

40.9%

Specialties (formerly Magnesia Specialties)

Oligopoly

6.7%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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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.