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Side-by-side financial comparison of ALTA EQUIPMENT GROUP INC. (ALTG) and MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC (MSM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($965.7M vs $509.1M, roughly 1.9× ALTA EQUIPMENT GROUP INC.). MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC runs the higher net margin — 5.4% vs -2.3%, a 7.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.0% vs 2.2%). ALTA EQUIPMENT GROUP INC. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($32.8M vs $7.4M). Over the past eight quarters, ALTA EQUIPMENT GROUP INC.'s revenue compounded faster (7.4% CAGR vs 0.6%).
The Alta Car and Engineering Company was a British sports and racing car manufacturer, commonly known simply as Alta. Their cars contested five FIA World Championship races between 1950 and 1952, as well as Grand Prix events prior to this. They also supplied engines to a small number of other constructors, most notably the Connaught and HWM teams.
MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc (MSC), through its subsidiaries, primarily MSC Industrial Supply Co., is one of the largest industrial equipment distributors in the United States, distributing more than 1.5 million metalworking and other industrial products.
ALTG vs MSM — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 2025 vs Q1 2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $509.1M | $965.7M |
| Net Profit | $-11.7M | $51.8M |
| Gross Margin | 23.5% | 40.7% |
| Operating Margin | 1.0% | 7.9% |
| Net Margin | -2.3% | 5.4% |
| Revenue YoY | 2.2% | 4.0% |
| Net Profit YoY | -10.4% | 11.1% |
| EPS (diluted) | $-0.38 | $0.93 |
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.
| Q4 25 | $509.1M | $965.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $422.6M | $978.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $481.2M | $971.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $423.0M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $498.1M | $928.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $448.8M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $488.1M | $979.4M | ||
| Q1 24 | $441.6M | $935.3M |
| Q4 25 | $-11.7M | $51.8M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-41.6M | $56.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-6.1M | $56.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-20.9M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $-10.6M | $46.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-27.7M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $-11.9M | $71.7M | ||
| Q1 24 | $-11.9M | $61.8M |
| Q4 25 | 23.5% | 40.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | 27.9% | 40.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 25.4% | 41.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 27.2% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 23.4% | 40.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 27.8% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 27.0% | 40.9% | ||
| Q1 24 | 27.3% | 41.5% |
| Q4 25 | 1.0% | 7.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.1% | 8.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.6% | 8.5% | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.2% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.5% | 7.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.5% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.1% | 10.9% | ||
| Q1 24 | -0.2% | 9.7% |
| Q4 25 | -2.3% | 5.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | -9.8% | 5.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | -1.3% | 5.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | -4.9% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | -2.1% | 5.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | -6.2% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | -2.4% | 7.3% | ||
| Q1 24 | -2.7% | 6.6% |
| Q4 25 | $-0.38 | $0.93 | ||
| Q3 25 | $-1.31 | $1.02 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-0.21 | $1.02 | ||
| Q1 25 | $-0.65 | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $-0.34 | $0.83 | ||
| Q3 24 | $-0.86 | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $-0.38 | $1.27 | ||
| Q1 24 | $-0.38 | $1.10 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $18.6M | $40.3M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $724.0M | $214.1M |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $-8.8M | $1.4B |
| Total Assets | $1.3B | $2.5B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | 0.16× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $18.6M | $40.3M | ||
| Q3 25 | $14.1M | $56.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $13.2M | $71.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $11.1M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $13.4M | $57.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $14.6M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $4.5M | $25.9M | ||
| Q1 24 | $5.6M | $22.2M |
| Q4 25 | $724.0M | $214.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | $745.6M | $168.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $732.6M | $285.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $735.0M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $695.3M | $289.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $712.6M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $727.3M | $299.8M | ||
| Q1 24 | $674.4M | $294.5M |
| Q4 25 | $-8.8M | $1.4B | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.9M | $1.4B | ||
| Q2 25 | $43.9M | $1.4B | ||
| Q1 25 | $56.0M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $77.6M | $1.4B | ||
| Q3 24 | $95.7M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $125.2M | $1.4B | ||
| Q1 24 | $136.9M | $1.4B |
| Q4 25 | $1.3B | $2.5B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.4B | $2.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.4B | $2.5B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.5B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.5B | $2.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.5B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.6B | $2.5B | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.6B | $2.5B |
| Q4 25 | — | 0.16× | ||
| Q3 25 | 257.10× | 0.12× | ||
| Q2 25 | 16.69× | 0.21× | ||
| Q1 25 | 13.13× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 8.96× | 0.21× | ||
| Q3 24 | 7.45× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 5.81× | 0.21× | ||
| Q1 24 | 4.93× | 0.21× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $33.9M | $29.4M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $32.8M | $7.4M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 6.4% | 0.8% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 0.2% | 2.3% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | 0.57× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $23.8M | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $33.9M | $29.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.5M | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $14.1M | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $-17.5M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $34.9M | $101.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $46.3M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $-10.7M | $143.5M | ||
| Q1 24 | $-13.5M | $78.7M |
| Q4 25 | $32.8M | $7.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-1.7M | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $11.9M | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $-19.2M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $30.9M | $81.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $42.1M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $-13.5M | $114.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $-17.9M | $53.4M |
| Q4 25 | 6.4% | 0.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | -0.4% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.5% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | -4.5% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 6.2% | 8.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 9.4% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | -2.8% | 11.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | -4.1% | 5.7% |
| Q4 25 | 0.2% | 2.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.0% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.5% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.4% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.8% | 2.2% | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.9% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.6% | 3.0% | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.0% | 2.7% |
| Q4 25 | — | 0.57× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 2.18× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | — | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 2.00× | ||
| Q1 24 | — | 1.27× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
ALTG
| New And Used Equipment Sales | $300.9M | 59% |
| Parts Sales | $68.1M | 13% |
| Services | $59.3M | 12% |
| Rental Equipment Sales | $38.0M | 7% |
| Design And Build Projects Automated Equipment Installation And System Integration Services | $18.5M | 4% |
| Design And Build Solutions Automated Equipment Installation And System Integration And Software Services | $14.6M | 3% |
| Master Distribution Segment | $14.0M | 3% |
MSM
Segment breakdown not available.
