VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Guidewire Software, Inc. vs LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

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

Guidewire Software, Inc.

GWRE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$15.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-11
Moat score
63/ 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 Guidewire Software, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GWRE analysis

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

LPLA · Nasdaq

Market cap (USD)$28.8B
Gross margin (TTM)24.1%
Operating margin (TTM)9.5%
Net margin (TTM)5.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Capital Markets
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
79/ 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 LPL Financial Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LPLA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Guidewire Software, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Guidewire Software, Inc. has 2 segments (81.8% in Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)); LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform).
  • Moat breadth: Guidewire Software, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Guidewire Software, Inc.

Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)

Market

Property & casualty insurance core systems platforms (policy administration, claims, billing) with cloud delivery

Geography

Global

Customer

Property & casualty insurers (global carriers to regional/local providers)

Role

Vertical enterprise application vendor / cloud platform operator

Revenue share

81.8%

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Advisor Platform

Market

Advisor-mediated wealth management platform (independent broker-dealer + RIA custody/clearing)

Geography

United States

Customer

Financial advisors and financial institutions

Role

Platform / broker-dealer / custodian

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Guidewire Software, Inc.
LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GWRE - New York Stock Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
Market cap (USD)
$15.7B
$28.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
24.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
9.5%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
5.4%
Sector
Technology
Financials
Industry
n/a
Financial - Capital Markets
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)
Advisor Platform
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-25% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
79 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal, Supply
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Last update
2026-01-11
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralSuite BundlingCompliance Advantage

Guidewire Software, Inc. strengths

Long Term ContractsEcosystem ComplementsCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In Qualification

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceTwo Sided Network

Segment mix

Guidewire Software, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)

Oligopoly

81.8%

Professional services (implementation, cloud migration, integration)

Competitive

18.2%

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.