VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. vs VeriSign, Inc.

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
SectorFinancials
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

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

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

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 74 / 100 for MarketAxess Holdings Inc.).
  • Segment focus: MarketAxess Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (87.1% in Trade Execution Solutions); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: MarketAxess Holdings Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 across 4.

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%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MKTX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$6.7B
n/a
Sector
Financials
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trade Execution Solutions
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Monopoly
Market share
19% (reported)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
74 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2025-12-23
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkData Workflow LockinData Network EffectsCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs GeneralEcosystem Complements

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Trade Execution Solutions

Oligopoly

87.1%

Services (Data, Post-Trade and Technology)

Competitive

12.9%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

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.