VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Monday, January 5, 2026

Stock Comparison

Deutsche Boerse AG vs Merck & Co., Inc.

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

Deutsche Boerse AG

DB1 · Xetra

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryDE
Data as of2026-01-03
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 Deutsche Boerse AG's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View DB1 analysis

Merck & Co., Inc.

MRK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$266.4B
Gross margin (TTM)78.3%
Operating margin (TTM)36.4%
Net margin (TTM)29.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
71/ 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 Merck & Co., Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MRK analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Deutsche Boerse AG leads (81 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Merck & Co., Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Deutsche Boerse AG has 8 segments (28.2% in Securities Services (Clearstream: ICSD/CSD settlement + custody)); Merck & Co., Inc. has 2 segments (89.5% in Pharmaceutical).
  • Primary market structure: Duopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Deutsche Boerse AG has 12 moat types across 5 domains; Merck & Co., Inc. has 5 across 3.

Primary market context

Deutsche Boerse AG

Securities Services (Clearstream: ICSD/CSD settlement + custody)

Market

Securities settlement and custody infrastructure (ICSD/CSD) for Eurobonds and domestic markets

Geography

Global (Eurobonds + multiple domestic markets)

Customer

Custodian banks, broker-dealers, central banks, institutional investors

Role

Settlement/custody infrastructure and asset servicing

Revenue share

28.2%

Merck & Co., Inc.

Pharmaceutical

Market

Branded prescription pharmaceuticals & human vaccines

Geography

Global

Customer

Wholesalers/retailers, managed care and government payers, hospitals/clinics

Role

R&D-intensive innovator, manufacturer, and marketer

Revenue share

89.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Deutsche Boerse AG
Merck & Co., Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
DB1 - Xetra
MRK - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$266.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
78.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
36.4%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
29.6%
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
n/a
Drug Manufacturers - General
HQ country
DE
US
Primary segment
Securities Services (Clearstream: ICSD/CSD settlement + custody)
Pharmaceutical
Market structure
Duopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
81 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Network, Demand, Financial, Supply
Legal, Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-03
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Regulated Standards PipeData Workflow Lockin

Deutsche Boerse AG strengths

Two Sided NetworkDe Facto StandardClearing SettlementBrand TrustInteroperability HubFloat PrepaymentSwitching Costs GeneralScale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingFormat Lock In

Merck & Co., Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleScope Economies

Segment mix

Deutsche Boerse AG segments

Full profile >

Financial Derivatives (Eurex trading + Eurex Clearing)

Oligopoly

22.4%

Commodities (EEX marketplaces + clearing)

Oligopoly

10.9%

Cash Equities (Xetra + Boerse Frankfurt)

Quasi-Monopoly

5.1%

FX & Digital Assets (360T + Crypto Finance)

Competitive

2.8%

Securities Services (Clearstream: ICSD/CSD settlement + custody)

Duopoly

28.2%

Fund Services (Vestima fund processing + Fund Centre distribution)

Oligopoly

8.5%

Software Solutions (SimCorp + Axioma Analytics)

Competitive

11.9%

ESG & Index (ISS STOXX: indices + ESG/governance data)

Oligopoly

10.1%

Merck & Co., Inc. segments

Full profile >

Pharmaceutical

Competitive

89.5%

Animal Health

Oligopoly

9.2%

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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.