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Side-by-side financial comparison of ADVANCE AUTO PARTS INC (AAP) and Steris (STE). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($2.0B vs $1.5B, roughly 1.3× Steris). Steris runs the higher net margin — 12.9% vs 0.3%, a 12.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (130.1% vs 9.2%). Steris produced more free cash flow last quarter ($199.5M vs $-21.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Steris's revenue compounded faster (15.8% CAGR vs -15.7%).

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is an American automotive aftermarket parts provider. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, it serves professional installer and do it yourself (DIY) customers.

Steris plc is an American-Irish-based medical equipment company specializing in sterilization and surgical products for the US healthcare system. Steris is operationally headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, and has been legally registered in Dublin, Ireland, for tax purposes since 2018. Previously the company was registered in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2018.

AAP vs STE — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
AAP
AAP
1.3× larger
AAP
$2.0B
$1.5B
STE
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
AAP
AAP
+120.9% gap
AAP
130.1%
9.2%
STE
Higher net margin
STE
STE
12.6% more per $
STE
12.9%
0.3%
AAP
More free cash flow
STE
STE
$220.5M more FCF
STE
$199.5M
$-21.0M
AAP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STE
STE
Annualised
STE
15.8%
-15.7%
AAP

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Revenue
$2.0B
$1.5B
Net Profit
$6.0M
$192.9M
Gross Margin
44.1%
43.8%
Operating Margin
2.2%
18.3%
Net Margin
0.3%
12.9%
Revenue YoY
130.1%
9.2%
Net Profit YoY
101.4%
11.2%
EPS (diluted)
$0.10
$1.96

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$2.0B
Q4 25
$2.0B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$2.0B
$1.5B
Q2 25
$2.6B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$1.5B
Q4 24
$2.1B
$1.4B
Q3 24
$2.2B
$1.3B
Q2 24
$2.8B
$1.3B
Net Profit
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$6.0M
Q4 25
$-1.0M
$192.9M
Q3 25
$15.0M
$191.9M
Q2 25
$24.0M
$177.4M
Q1 25
$145.7M
Q4 24
$-6.0M
$173.5M
Q3 24
$45.0M
$150.0M
Q2 24
$40.0M
$145.4M
Gross Margin
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
44.1%
Q4 25
43.3%
43.8%
Q3 25
43.5%
44.2%
Q2 25
42.9%
45.1%
Q1 25
43.3%
Q4 24
42.3%
44.5%
Q3 24
43.6%
43.6%
Q2 24
43.4%
44.7%
Operating Margin
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
2.2%
Q4 25
1.1%
18.3%
Q3 25
1.1%
18.2%
Q2 25
-5.1%
17.7%
Q1 25
14.6%
Q4 24
17.9%
Q3 24
2.5%
16.5%
Q2 24
1.9%
14.5%
Net Margin
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
0.3%
Q4 25
-0.0%
12.9%
Q3 25
0.7%
13.1%
Q2 25
0.9%
12.8%
Q1 25
9.8%
Q4 24
-0.3%
12.7%
Q3 24
2.1%
11.3%
Q2 24
1.4%
11.4%
EPS (diluted)
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$0.10
Q4 25
$-0.02
$1.96
Q3 25
$0.25
$1.94
Q2 25
$0.40
$1.79
Q1 25
$1.48
Q4 24
$-0.10
$1.75
Q3 24
$0.75
$1.51
Q2 24
$0.67
$1.46

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$3.1B
$423.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$3.4B
$1.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.2B
$7.2B
Total Assets
$11.8B
$10.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.55×
0.27×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$3.1B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$423.7M
Q3 25
$1.7B
$319.2M
Q2 25
$1.7B
$279.7M
Q1 25
$171.7M
Q4 24
$464.5M
$155.2M
Q3 24
$479.4M
$172.2M
Q2 24
$451.0M
$198.3M
Total Debt
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$3.4B
Q4 25
$3.4B
$1.9B
Q3 25
$1.8B
$1.9B
Q2 25
$1.8B
$1.9B
Q1 25
$1.9B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$2.0B
Q3 24
$1.8B
$2.2B
Q2 24
$1.8B
$2.2B
Stockholders' Equity
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$2.2B
Q4 25
$2.2B
$7.2B
Q3 25
$2.2B
$7.0B
Q2 25
$2.2B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$6.6B
Q4 24
$2.6B
$6.4B
Q3 24
$2.6B
$6.6B
Q2 24
$2.6B
$6.4B
Total Assets
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$11.8B
Q4 25
$12.1B
$10.6B
Q3 25
$10.5B
$10.4B
Q2 25
$10.6B
$10.4B
Q1 25
$10.1B
Q4 24
$12.5B
$10.0B
Q3 24
$12.3B
$10.2B
Q2 24
$12.2B
$10.1B
Debt / Equity
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
1.55×
Q4 25
1.55×
0.27×
Q3 25
0.81×
0.27×
Q2 25
0.81×
0.27×
Q1 25
0.29×
Q4 24
0.69×
0.32×
Q3 24
0.69×
0.33×
Q2 24
0.70×
0.35×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$72.0M
$298.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-21.0M
$199.5M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-1.1%
13.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
4.7%
6.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
12.00×
1.55×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-298.0M
$917.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$72.0M
Q4 25
$-12.0M
$298.2M
Q3 25
$50.0M
$287.8M
Q2 25
$-156.0M
$420.0M
Q1 25
$260.8M
Q4 24
$70.0M
$332.8M
Q3 24
$85.0M
$250.7M
Q2 24
$3.0M
$303.7M
Free Cash Flow
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
$-21.0M
Q4 25
$-76.0M
$199.5M
Q3 25
$-3.0M
$201.3M
Q2 25
$-198.0M
$326.4M
Q1 25
$189.9M
Q4 24
$27.0M
$243.6M
Q3 24
$44.0M
$148.8M
Q2 24
$-43.0M
$195.7M
FCF Margin
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
-1.1%
Q4 25
-3.7%
13.3%
Q3 25
-0.1%
13.8%
Q2 25
-7.7%
23.5%
Q1 25
12.8%
Q4 24
1.3%
17.8%
Q3 24
2.0%
11.2%
Q2 24
-1.6%
15.3%
Capex Intensity
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
4.7%
Q4 25
3.1%
6.6%
Q3 25
2.6%
5.9%
Q2 25
1.6%
6.7%
Q1 25
4.8%
Q4 24
2.0%
6.5%
Q3 24
1.9%
7.7%
Q2 24
1.7%
8.4%
Cash Conversion
AAP
AAP
STE
STE
Q1 26
12.00×
Q4 25
1.55×
Q3 25
3.33×
1.50×
Q2 25
-6.50×
2.37×
Q1 25
1.79×
Q4 24
1.92×
Q3 24
1.89×
1.67×
Q2 24
0.07×
2.09×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AAP
AAP

Segment breakdown not available.

STE
STE

Servicerevenues$404.7M27%
Consumablerevenues$387.1M26%
Applied Sterilization Technologies$286.6M19%
Capitalequipmentrevenues$272.1M18%
Life Science$145.8M10%

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