VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. vs Mastercard Incorporated

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

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

LPLA · Nasdaq

Market cap (USD)$25.5B
Gross margin (TTM)23.7%
Operating margin (TTM)9.6%
Net margin (TTM)5.1%
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

Mastercard Incorporated

MA · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$469.8B
Gross margin (TTM)83.4%
Operating margin (TTM)59.2%
Net margin (TTM)45.7%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Credit Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
77/ 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 Mastercard Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 77 / 100 for Mastercard Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform); Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network).
  • Moat breadth: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Mastercard Incorporated has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

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%

Mastercard Incorporated

Payment Network

Market

Four-party card payment network (switching, acceptance, and network-related services)

Geography

Global

Customer

Issuers, acquirers, merchants, account holders

Role

Network operator (authorization, clearing, settlement) and rules/standards steward

Revenue share

61.5%

Side-by-side metrics

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Mastercard Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
MA - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$25.5B
$469.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
23.7%
83.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
9.6%
59.2%
Net margin (TTM)
5.1%
45.7%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Capital Markets
Financial - Credit Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Advisor Platform
Payment Network
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
23%-25% (reported)
29.7% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
79 / 100
77 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-26
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided Network

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingOperational ExcellenceCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs General

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Clearing SettlementBrand TrustRegulated Standards PipeData Network EffectsData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

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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.