VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. vs The Charles Schwab Corporation

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)$30.8B
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

The Charles Schwab Corporation

SCHW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$190.7B
Gross margin (TTM)89.1%
Operating margin (TTM)42.7%
Net margin (TTM)33%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Capital Markets
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
74/ 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 The Charles Schwab Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SCHW analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 74 / 100 for The Charles Schwab Corporation).
  • Segment focus: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform); The Charles Schwab Corporation has 2 segments (79.4% in Investor Services).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; The Charles Schwab Corporation has 7 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%

The Charles Schwab Corporation

Investor Services

Market

U.S. retail brokerage, self-directed investing, and wealth management platforms

Geography

United States

Customer

Retail investors, employers, retirement plan sponsors

Role

Broker-dealer + bank + wealth manager platform

Revenue share

79.4%

Side-by-side metrics

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
The Charles Schwab Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
SCHW - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$30.8B
$190.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
23.7%
89.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
9.6%
42.7%
Net margin (TTM)
5.1%
33%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Capital Markets
Financial - Capital Markets
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Advisor Platform
Investor Services
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
23%-25% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
79 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Last update
2025-12-26
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite Bundling

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Operational ExcellenceCompliance AdvantageTwo Sided NetworkSwitching Costs General

The Charles Schwab Corporation strengths

Brand TrustFloat PrepaymentData Workflow LockinEcosystem ComplementsService Field Network

Segment mix

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

The Charles Schwab Corporation segments

Full profile >

Investor Services

Oligopoly

79.4%

Advisor Services

Oligopoly

20.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.