VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. vs Nasdaq, 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

Nasdaq, Inc.

NDAQ · NASDAQ

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

View NDAQ analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 76 / 100 for Nasdaq, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform); Nasdaq, Inc. has 3 segments (42.4% in Capital Access Platforms).
  • Moat breadth: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Nasdaq, Inc. has 9 across 5.

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%

Nasdaq, Inc.

Capital Access Platforms

Market

Issuer and investor solutions: listings, index licensing, market data, and investment analytics/workflow platforms

Geography

Global (with major exposure to U.S. and Nordic/Baltic markets)

Customer

Public/private companies (issuers), asset managers, institutional investors, data subscribers

Role

Listing venue + index administrator/licensor + data/analytics provider

Revenue share

42.4%

Side-by-side metrics

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Nasdaq, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
NDAQ - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$29.9B
n/a
Sector
Financials
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Advisor Platform
Capital Access Platforms
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
23%-25% (reported)
80%-84% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
79 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Legal, Network, Supply, Demand, Financial
Last update
2025-12-26
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance AdvantageTwo Sided Network

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingOperational ExcellenceSwitching Costs General

Nasdaq, Inc. strengths

Concession LicensePhysical Network DensityBrand TrustDe Facto StandardBenchmark Pricing PowerData Workflow LockinLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

Nasdaq, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Market Services

Competitive

21.9%

Capital Access Platforms

Oligopoly

42.4%

Financial Technology

Competitive

35.6%

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.