VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs TC Energy 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)$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

TC Energy Corporation

TRP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$37B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorEnergy
Industry
CountryCA
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
80/ 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 TC Energy Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View TRP analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 80 / 100 for TC Energy Corporation).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); TC Energy Corporation has 4 segments (46.1% in U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; TC Energy Corporation has 4 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%

TC Energy Corporation

U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines

Market

U.S. interstate natural gas pipeline transportation (FERC-regulated)

Geography

United States

Customer

Utilities/LDCs, power generators, LNG/export facilities, industrial users and marketers (as shippers)

Role

Midstream pipeline operator

Revenue share

46.1%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
TC Energy Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
TRP - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$97.5B
$37B
Gross margin (TTM)
86.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
65%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
58.6%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Energy
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
n/a
HQ country
US
CA
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
81 / 100
80 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

CME Group Inc. strengths

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

TC Energy Corporation strengths

Regulated Standards PipeLong Term ContractsPhysical Network DensityGovernment Contracting Relationships

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%

TC Energy Corporation segments

Full profile >

Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines

Quasi-Monopoly

40.7%

U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines

Oligopoly

46.1%

Mexico Natural Gas Pipelines

Oligopoly

6.3%

Power and Energy Solutions

Competitive

6.9%

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.