VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. vs VeriSign, Inc.

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)
SectorFinancials
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

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
100/ 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 VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 87 / 100 for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 3 segments (53.4% in Exchanges); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 across 4.

Primary market context

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%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ICE - New York Stock Exchange
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
n/a
n/a
Sector
Financials
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Exchanges
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Monopoly
Market share
75% (reported)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
87 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Demand, Supply
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Concession License

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. strengths

Clearing SettlementTwo Sided NetworkBrand TrustData Workflow LockinData Network EffectsPhysical Network DensityInteroperability HubStandards RegistryCompliance Advantage

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

De Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Exchanges

Oligopoly

53.4%

Fixed Income and Data Services

Oligopoly

24.8%

Mortgage Technology

Oligopoly

21.8%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

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.