VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Global Payments Inc. vs Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

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

Global Payments Inc.

GPN · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
62/ 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 Global Payments Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GPN analysis

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

ICE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$95.1B
Gross margin (TTM)55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)38.1%
Net margin (TTM)25.2%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
87/ 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 Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ICE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. leads (87 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions); Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 3 segments (53.4% in Exchanges).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Global Payments Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 10 across 4.

Primary market context

Global Payments Inc.

Merchant Solutions

Market

Merchant acquiring and integrated payments (card-present and e-commerce)

Geography

Global

Customer

Merchants (SMB to enterprise) and software platforms

Role

Acquirer and payment processor

Revenue share

76.1%

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

Exchanges

Market

Derivatives, cash equities, and listings exchanges plus central clearing (CCP) services

Geography

Global

Customer

Market participants (banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, proprietary traders) and issuers

Role

Exchange operator + clearing house (CCP)

Revenue share

53.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Global Payments Inc.
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
ICE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$95.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
38.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
25.2%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
n/a
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Merchant Solutions
Exchanges
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
75% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
62 / 100
87 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Network, Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinCompliance Advantage

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsScale Economies Unit CostLong Term ContractsSwitching Costs General

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. strengths

Clearing SettlementConcession LicenseTwo Sided NetworkBrand TrustData Network EffectsPhysical Network DensityInteroperability HubStandards Registry

Segment mix

Global Payments Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant Solutions

Competitive

76.1%

Issuer Solutions

Oligopoly

24.6%

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Exchanges

Oligopoly

53.4%

Fixed Income and Data Services

Oligopoly

24.8%

Mortgage Technology

Oligopoly

21.8%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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

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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.