VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. vs Xero Limited

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)$91.9B
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

Xero Limited

XRO · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryNZ
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 Xero Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View XRO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. leads (87 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Xero Limited).
  • Segment focus: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 3 segments (53.4% in Exchanges); Xero Limited has 2 segments.
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; Xero Limited has 7 across 3.

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%

Xero Limited

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Market

Cloud accounting software for small businesses and their advisors

Geography

Global

Customer

SMB; accountants & bookkeepers

Role

Software platform (SaaS)

Side-by-side metrics

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
Xero Limited
Ticker / Exchange
ICE - New York Stock Exchange
XRO - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$91.9B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
55.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
38.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
25.2%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Technology
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
n/a
HQ country
US
NZ
Primary segment
Exchanges
Core Accounting Subscription Platform
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
75% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
87 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Demand, Supply
Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkData Workflow LockinInteroperability Hub

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. strengths

Clearing SettlementConcession LicenseBrand TrustData Network EffectsPhysical Network DensityStandards RegistryCompliance Advantage

Xero Limited strengths

Switching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerEcosystem ComplementsSuite Bundling

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%

Xero Limited segments

Full profile >

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Oligopoly

n/a

Platform Services (Payments, Payroll, App Ecosystem)

Competitive

n/a

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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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.