VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs Microsoft Corporation

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

Microsoft Corporation

MSFT · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$3.6T
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
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 Microsoft Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSFT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Microsoft Corporation 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)); Microsoft Corporation has 3 segments (42.9% in Productivity and Business Processes).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; Microsoft Corporation has 9 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%

Microsoft Corporation

Productivity and Business Processes

Market

Enterprise productivity & collaboration suites, business applications, and professional network platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises, SMBs, consumers, recruiters/advertisers

Role

SaaS platform + professional network

Revenue share

42.9%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
MSFT - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$3.6T
Sector
Financials
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Productivity and Business Processes
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
81 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-21

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

Microsoft Corporation strengths

Suite BundlingLong Term ContractsCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsOperational ExcellenceDefault OS GatewayContent Rights Currency

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%

Microsoft Corporation segments

Full profile >

Productivity and Business Processes

Oligopoly

42.9%

Intelligent Cloud

Oligopoly

37.7%

More Personal Computing

Quasi-Monopoly

19.4%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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

View the moat stocks list

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.