VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. vs Pool Corporation

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

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.

MKTX · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$6.7B
Gross margin (TTM)66.2%
Operating margin (TTM)41.2%
Net margin (TTM)26.2%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Capital Markets
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
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 MarketAxess Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MKTX analysis

Pool Corporation

POOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)11.1%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
56/ 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 Pool Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View POOL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: MarketAxess Holdings Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: MarketAxess Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (87.1% in Trade Execution Solutions); Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: MarketAxess Holdings Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Pool Corporation has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.

Trade Execution Solutions

Market

Electronic fixed-income trade execution platforms (credit and rates)

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors, broker-dealers, and alternative liquidity providers

Role

Electronic trading venue / marketplace operator

Revenue share

87.1%

Pool Corporation

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Market

Wholesale distribution of swimming pool, irrigation/landscape, and related outdoor living products

Geography

North America (majority), with operations in Europe and Australia

Customer

Pool builders/remodelers, pool service/repair professionals, specialty pool retailers, irrigation/landscape contractors, commercial pool operators

Role

Distributor / wholesaler

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.
Pool Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
MKTX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
POOL - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$6.7B
$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
66.2%
29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
41.2%
11.1%
Net margin (TTM)
26.2%
7.8%
Sector
Financials
Industrials
Industry
Financial - Capital Markets
Industrial - Distribution
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trade Execution Solutions
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
19% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
74 / 100
56 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-23
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkData Network EffectsCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs GeneralEcosystem Complements

Pool Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostScope EconomiesProcurement Inertia

Segment mix

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Trade Execution Solutions

Oligopoly

87.1%

Services (Data, Post-Trade and Technology)

Competitive

12.9%

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

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.