VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

London Stock Exchange Group plc vs Norfolk Southern Corporation

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

London Stock Exchange Group plc

LSEG · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$45B
Gross margin (TTM)51.5%
Operating margin (TTM)19.6%
Net margin (TTM)9.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-30
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 London Stock Exchange Group plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LSEG analysis

Norfolk Southern Corporation

NSC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
70/ 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 Norfolk Southern Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NSC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: London Stock Exchange Group plc leads (74 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for Norfolk Southern Corporation).
  • Segment focus: London Stock Exchange Group plc has 5 segments (51% in Data & Analytics); Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise).
  • Moat breadth: London Stock Exchange Group plc has 8 moat types across 4 domains; Norfolk Southern Corporation has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

London Stock Exchange Group plc

Data & Analytics

Market

Financial market data, analytics and workflows (terminals and enterprise feeds)

Geography

Global

Customer

Financial institutions and corporates

Role

Data & analytics vendor

Revenue share

51%

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Merchandise

Market

Eastern U.S. freight rail transportation for industrial & consumer goods

Geography

United States (Southeast/East/Midwest; NS network + interchanges)

Customer

Manufacturers, producers, and distributors

Role

Rail carrier

Revenue share

62%

Side-by-side metrics

London Stock Exchange Group plc
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
LSEG - London Stock Exchange
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$45B
$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
51.5%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
19.6%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
9.4%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Industrials
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Railroads
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Data & Analytics
Merchandise
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
74 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network, Legal
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit Cost

London Stock Exchange Group plc strengths

Data Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardBrand TrustCompliance AdvantageTwo Sided NetworkClearing SettlementConcession License

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WaySwitching Costs General

Segment mix

London Stock Exchange Group plc segments

Full profile >

Data & Analytics

Oligopoly

51%

FTSE Russell

Oligopoly

10.7%

Risk Intelligence

Oligopoly

6.2%

Capital Markets

Oligopoly

21.3%

Post Trade

Quasi-Monopoly

10.8%

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

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.