VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

Stock Comparison

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. vs The Charles Schwab Corporation

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

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

ICE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$84.4B
Gross margin (TTM)69%
Operating margin (TTM)40.8%
Net margin (TTM)30%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2026-05-26
Moat score
91/ 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

The Charles Schwab Corporation

SCHW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$149.3B
Gross margin (TTM)87.6%
Operating margin (TTM)43%
Net margin (TTM)33.3%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Capital Markets
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
74/ 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 The Charles Schwab Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SCHW analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. leads (91 / 100 vs 74 / 100 for The Charles Schwab Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 4 segments (46.2% in Exchange transaction and clearing); The Charles Schwab Corporation has 2 segments (79.4% in Investor Services).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 8 moat types across 4 domains; The Charles Schwab Corporation has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

Exchange transaction and clearing

Market

Global regulated derivatives, cash equities, equity options, OTC energy trading and clearing venues

Geography

Global, with major venues and clearing houses in the U.S., U.K., EU, Canada, Asia Pacific and the Middle East

Customer

Financial institutions, asset managers, market makers, hedgers, corporates, energy firms and brokers

Role

Regulated exchange operator, execution venue and central counterparty clearing infrastructure

Revenue share

46.2%

The Charles Schwab Corporation

Investor Services

Market

U.S. retail brokerage, self-directed investing, and wealth management platforms

Geography

United States

Customer

Retail investors, employers, retirement plan sponsors

Role

Broker-dealer + bank + wealth manager platform

Revenue share

79.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
The Charles Schwab Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
ICE - New York Stock Exchange
SCHW - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$84.4B
$149.3B
Gross margin (TTM)
69%
87.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
40.8%
43%
Net margin (TTM)
30%
33.3%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Financial - Capital Markets
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Exchange transaction and clearing
Investor Services
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
19.8%-20.1% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Weak
Moat score
91 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Financial, Demand, Supply
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Last update
2026-05-26
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustData Workflow LockinEcosystem Complements

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkBenchmark Pricing PowerClearing SettlementScope EconomiesData Network Effects

The Charles Schwab Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingFloat PrepaymentService Field Network

Segment mix

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Exchange transaction and clearing

Oligopoly

46.2%

Exchange data, connectivity and listings

Oligopoly

13.6%

Fixed Income and Data Services

Oligopoly

22.1%

Mortgage Technology

Quasi-Monopoly

18.1%

The Charles Schwab Corporation segments

Full profile >

Investor Services

Oligopoly

79.4%

Advisor Services

Oligopoly

20.6%

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.