VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs Spotify Technology S.A.

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

Spotify Technology S.A.

SPOT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$121.5B
Gross margin (TTM)31.8%
Operating margin (TTM)11.7%
Net margin (TTM)8.3%
SectorCommunication Services
IndustryInternet Content & Information
CountryLU
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
65/ 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 Spotify Technology S.A.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SPOT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 65 / 100 for Spotify Technology S.A.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); Spotify Technology S.A. has 2 segments (88.2% in Premium (subscription)).
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; Spotify Technology S.A. 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%

Spotify Technology S.A.

Premium (subscription)

Market

Paid music and audio streaming subscriptions

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers (end-users) and distribution partners (e.g., telcos)

Role

Streaming platform operator

Revenue share

88.2%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
Spotify Technology S.A.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
SPOT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$99.2B
$121.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
86.1%
31.8%
Operating margin (TTM)
65%
11.7%
Net margin (TTM)
58.6%
8.3%
Sector
Financials
Communication Services
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Internet Content & Information
HQ country
US
LU
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Premium (subscription)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
31%-33% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
81 / 100
65 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Network, Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkScale Economies Unit Cost

CME Group Inc. strengths

Clearing SettlementConcession LicenseBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardDistribution ControlSwitching Costs General

Spotify Technology S.A. strengths

Data Network EffectsInteroperability HubBrand TrustContent 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%

Spotify Technology S.A. segments

Full profile >

Premium (subscription)

Oligopoly

88.2%

Ad-Supported (advertising)

Competitive

11.8%

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

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.