VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. vs Novartis AG

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)$29B
Gross margin (TTM)24.1%
Operating margin (TTM)9.5%
Net margin (TTM)5.4%
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

Novartis AG

NOVN · SIX Swiss Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryCH
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
65/ 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 Novartis AG's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NOVN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 65 / 100 for Novartis AG).
  • Segment focus: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform); Novartis AG has 5 segments (29.3% in Oncology).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Novartis AG has 4 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%

Novartis AG

Oncology

Market

Oncology and hematology branded medicines (including targeted therapies and radioligand therapy)

Geography

Global

Customer

Oncologists and hospitals; reimbursed by payers; hospital and specialty pharmacy channels

Role

Originator developer, manufacturer, and marketer of oncology therapies

Revenue share

29.3%

Side-by-side metrics

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Novartis AG
Ticker / Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
NOVN - SIX Swiss Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$29B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
24.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
9.5%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
5.4%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Financial - Capital Markets
n/a
HQ country
US
CH
Primary segment
Advisor Platform
Oncology
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
23%-25% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
79 / 100
65 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Legal, Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-26
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingOperational ExcellenceCompliance AdvantageTwo Sided NetworkSwitching Costs General

Novartis AG strengths

IP Choke PointRegulated Standards PipeCapex Knowhow ScaleBrand Trust

Segment mix

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

Novartis AG segments

Full profile >

Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic

Oligopoly

17%

Immunology

Oligopoly

18.5%

Neuroscience

Oligopoly

9.4%

Oncology

Oligopoly

29.3%

Established Brands

Competitive

25.8%

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.