VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Stock Comparison

W.W. Grainger, Inc. vs LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

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

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

GWW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
65/ 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 W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GWW analysis

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

LPLA · Nasdaq

Market cap (USD)$29.9B
SectorFinancials
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 65 / 100 for W.W. Grainger, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: W.W. Grainger, Inc. has 3 segments (79.9% in High-Touch Solutions N.A.); LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: W.W. Grainger, Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

High-Touch Solutions N.A.

Market

MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) products distribution and value-added inventory/procurement solutions

Geography

North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico)

Customer

Mid-size and large businesses with complex purchasing operations; also government and institutions

Role

Distributor / wholesaler + onsite inventory services

Revenue share

79.9%

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

W.W. Grainger, Inc.
LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GWW - New York Stock Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$29.9B
Sector
Industrials
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
High-Touch Solutions N.A.
Advisor Platform
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-25% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
65 / 100
79 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational Excellence

W.W. Grainger, Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinScope Economies

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingCompliance AdvantageTwo Sided NetworkSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

W.W. Grainger, Inc. segments

Full profile >

High-Touch Solutions N.A.

Competitive

79.9%

Endless Assortment

Competitive

18.3%

Other (Cromwell U.K. + captive insurance)

Competitive

1.8%

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

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

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.