VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

CME Group Inc.

CME · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$94.6B
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

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

VRTX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
99/ 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 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRTX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated leads (99 / 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)); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 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%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Market

CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis

Geography

U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada

Customer

Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

99.9%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$94.6B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
86.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
65%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
58.6%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
81 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Benchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointSwitching Costs General

CME Group Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementConcession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardDistribution Control

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

Government Contracting RelationshipsRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

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%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Quasi-Monopoly

99.9%

Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)

Oligopoly

0.1%

Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)

Competitive

n/a

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.