A monopoly exists when a single firm controls the overwhelming majority of an industry — usually because of structural advantages competitors can't replicate: scale, exclusive partnerships, vertical integration, or patents that lock everyone else out. Here are 9 publicly traded monopolies you can invest in directly through the stock market.
Alphabet [Google]“Just Google it” has become the default response whenever someone needs information. Competing search engines—such as Yahoo, Bing, and DuckDuckGo—struggle to keep up, largely due to Google’s structural advantages, exclusive partnerships, and massive global reach, which make it extremely difficult for any rival to gain meaningful traction.
Taiwanese semiconductor chips have become the new gold of the modern world. From smartphones and electric vehicles to gaming consoles, nearly every advanced technology depends on Taiwan’s cutting-edge chips. This reliance was starkly visible during COVID-19, when supply shortages drove PlayStation 5 prices above $1,000.
At the same time, Taiwan faces significant geopolitical tension, with a certain powerful neighbor claiming sovereignty over the island. Any instability could disrupt global supply chains, showing just how crucial Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has become to both the global economy and modern technology.
NVIDIAJensen Huang went from washing dishes at Denny’s to leading NVIDIA, the world’s first $5 trillion company (check his LinkeDin). The company’s meteoric rise has been fueled by overwhelming demand for the hardware that powers 92% of AI infrastructure, leaving competitors like AMD and Intel far behind.
However, NVIDIA is heavily reliant on TSMC and ASML for its supply chain, making the industry highly volatile. Despite this, NVIDIA remains a cornerstone in keeping the United States competitive in the AI race against China.
DoordashDoorDash holds a dominant position in food delivery, functioning much like a digital monopoly. Its large customer base, wide restaurant selection, and efficient logistics create strong network effects that make it hard for smaller rivals to compete. Uber Eats is their only other major competitor.
However, the stock can still be volatile. Food delivery runs on thin margins, faces constant regulatory and labor pressures, and is sensitive to shifts in consumer spending. These factors make DoorDash’s financial performance less predictable despite its market dominance.
Through its vertical integration—combining design, manufacturing, distribution, and retail—EssilorLuxottica wields monopoly-like influence over pricing, supply chains, and global eyewear standards. By controlling every stage of the value chain, the company can set lens and frame prices, determine which brands receive premium placement, and shape the technology and materials used across the industry. Its ownership of major eyewear brands, licensing deals with top fashion houses, and control of large retail chains further concentrate its market power. This integrated structure not only limits competition but also allows EssilorLuxottica to dictate trends, influence consumer choices, and maintain strong pricing power in both prescription and luxury eyewear markets.
Live Nation, through its merger with Ticketmaster, exerts monopoly-like control over the live events industry. By owning a massive share of major concert venues, promoting many of the world’s top touring artists, and controlling the dominant ticketing platform, the company occupies every critical link in the live entertainment supply chain. This vertical integration allows Live Nation–Ticketmaster to influence ticket prices, service fees, venue contracts, and artist access in ways competitors struggle to match. Its exclusive venue agreements and deep relationships with artists and promoters create high barriers to entry, effectively locking out rival ticketing services. As a result, consumers, artists, and venues often have little choice but to rely on Ticketmaster’s infrastructure, reinforcing the company’s outsized market power and shaping the economics of the entire live events ecosystem.
ASML holds a true global monopoly on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines—meaning it has virtually no competition in the most advanced stage of semiconductor manufacturing. Its dominance in EUV technology makes the company indispensable to the technological ecosystem, supplying critical equipment that enables companies like TSMC to produce the world’s most advanced chips. ASML is not only a powerful stock but also an irreplaceable supplier at the core of the semiconductor supply chain.
While ASML faces virtually no direct competitors, it relies heavily on key partners—most notably Zeiss, which supplies the ultra-precise optical systems essential for EUV machines. Any disruption in this tightly coordinated supply chain can delay production or limit output, introducing volatility into an otherwise dominant business.
TKO HoldingsAs the parent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, this company has massive influence over the fighting industry. Unlike the sport of boxing with multiple promotions and boxers having more negotiation power, UFC fighters are locked into contracts with no real alternative. The UFC is the promoter, organizer and rule maker.
While technically the PFL and ONE Championship do exist as competitors, they make up a fraction of the MMA market. This makes TKO Holdings a true knockout in the fighting world.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals holds a near-total monopoly over the cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment market, anchored by its revolutionary line of CFTR modulator therapies like Trikafta. By successfully developing drugs that target the underlying genetic root cause of CF rather than just managing symptoms, Vertex transformed a fatal, historically mismanaged childhood disease into a manageable, chronic condition, radically extending patient life expectancies. Today, its portfolio covers approximately 95% of the global CF population, generating billions in annual revenue and cementing the company’s status as a dominant powerhouse in specialized biotechnology.
One company holding nearly all of a market, to the point that competitors struggle to gain traction even when they offer a similar product.
9, each with the market it dominates, the share it holds where that is known, and how sensitive its demand is to price.
It is how much demand falls when the price rises. Inelastic demand means customers keep buying anyway, which is what turns market share into pricing power — the thing that actually shows up in profits.