VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Morningstar, Inc. vs Nasdaq, Inc.

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

Morningstar, Inc.

MORN · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
67/ 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 Morningstar, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MORN analysis

Nasdaq, Inc.

NDAQ · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$56.4B
Gross margin (TTM)41.1%
Operating margin (TTM)27.2%
Net margin (TTM)19.9%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
76/ 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 Nasdaq, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NDAQ analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Nasdaq, Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for Morningstar, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Morningstar, Inc. has 7 segments (34.6% in Morningstar Data and Analytics); Nasdaq, Inc. has 3 segments (42.4% in Capital Access Platforms).
  • Moat breadth: Morningstar, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Nasdaq, Inc. has 9 across 5.

Primary market context

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Market

Investment data, research, and analytics platforms

Geography

Global

Revenue share

34.6%

Nasdaq, Inc.

Capital Access Platforms

Market

Issuer and investor solutions: listings, index licensing, market data, and investment analytics/workflow platforms

Geography

Global (with major exposure to U.S. and Nordic/Baltic markets)

Customer

Public/private companies (issuers), asset managers, institutional investors, data subscribers

Role

Listing venue + index administrator/licensor + data/analytics provider

Revenue share

42.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Morningstar, Inc.
Nasdaq, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MORN - NASDAQ
NDAQ - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$56.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
41.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
27.2%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
19.9%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
n/a
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Morningstar Data and Analytics
Capital Access Platforms
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
80%-84% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
67 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal
Legal, Network, Supply, Demand, Financial
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinDe Facto Standard

Morningstar, Inc. strengths

Regulated Standards PipeSuite BundlingTraining Org Change CostsIP Choke Point

Nasdaq, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseTwo Sided NetworkPhysical Network DensityBrand TrustBenchmark Pricing PowerCompliance AdvantageLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Morningstar, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Oligopoly

34.6%

PitchBook

Oligopoly

27.2%

Morningstar Credit

Oligopoly

12.8%

Morningstar Wealth

Competitive

10.9%

Morningstar Retirement

Competitive

5.6%

Morningstar Sustainalytics

Oligopoly

5.2%

Morningstar Indexes

Oligopoly

3.7%

Nasdaq, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Market Services

Competitive

21.9%

Capital Access Platforms

Oligopoly

42.4%

Financial Technology

Competitive

35.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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

View expansion-stage stocks

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.