VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Monday, December 29, 2025

Stock Comparison

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. vs MercadoLibre, Inc.

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)$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

MercadoLibre, Inc.

MELI · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
73/ 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 MercadoLibre, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MELI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 73 / 100 for MercadoLibre, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform); MercadoLibre, Inc. has 2 segments (58.5% in Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)).
  • Moat breadth: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; MercadoLibre, Inc. has 6 across 4.

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%

MercadoLibre, Inc.

Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)

Market

Latin American e-commerce marketplace and commerce services (online marketplace, 1P retail, fulfillment/logistics, advertising)

Geography

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries)

Customer

Consumers (buyers) and merchants/brands (sellers), including MSMEs

Role

Marketplace operator + retailer + logistics orchestrator

Revenue share

58.5%

Side-by-side metrics

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
MercadoLibre, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
MELI - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$29.9B
n/a
Sector
Financials
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Advisor Platform
Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
23%-25% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
79 / 100
73 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Network, Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-26
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance AdvantageTwo Sided NetworkSwitching Costs General

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingOperational Excellence

MercadoLibre, Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsDistribution ControlData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

MercadoLibre, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)

Oligopoly

58.5%

Fintech (Mercado Pago & credit)

Competitive

41.5%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.