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Side-by-side financial comparison of AppLovin Corp (APP) and Norfolk Southern (NSC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Norfolk Southern is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.0B vs $1.8B, roughly 1.6× AppLovin Corp). AppLovin Corp runs the higher net margin — 65.5% vs 21.7%, a 43.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, AppLovin Corp posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (59.0% vs -1.7%). AppLovin Corp produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.3B vs $334.0M). Over the past eight quarters, AppLovin Corp's revenue compounded faster (30.6% CAGR vs -0.5%).

AppLovin Corporation is an American mobile technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Founded in 2012, the company helps developers market, monetize, analyze and publish their apps through its mobile advertising, marketing, and analytics platforms, SSP MAX; DSP AppDiscovery; and SparkLabs creative studio. The company also invests in various mobile game publishers.

The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The company operates 19,420 route miles (31,250 km) in 22 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and has rights in Canada over the Albany to Montreal route of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City.

APP vs NSC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NSC
NSC
1.6× larger
NSC
$3.0B
$1.8B
APP
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
APP
APP
+60.6% gap
APP
59.0%
-1.7%
NSC
Higher net margin
APP
APP
43.8% more per $
APP
65.5%
21.7%
NSC
More free cash flow
APP
APP
$952.7M more FCF
APP
$1.3B
$334.0M
NSC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
APP
APP
Annualised
APP
30.6%
-0.5%
NSC

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Revenue
$1.8B
$3.0B
Net Profit
$1.2B
$644.0M
Gross Margin
88.9%
Operating Margin
78.2%
31.5%
Net Margin
65.5%
21.7%
Revenue YoY
59.0%
-1.7%
Net Profit YoY
109.2%
-12.1%
EPS (diluted)
$3.56
$2.87

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
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$1.8B
Q4 25
$1.3B
$3.0B
Q3 25
$1.4B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$3.1B
Q1 25
$1.5B
$3.0B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$3.0B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$1.1B
$3.0B
Net Profit
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$1.2B
Q4 25
$1.1B
$644.0M
Q3 25
$835.5M
$711.0M
Q2 25
$819.5M
$768.0M
Q1 25
$576.4M
$750.0M
Q4 24
$599.2M
$733.0M
Q3 24
$434.4M
$1.1B
Q2 24
$310.0M
$737.0M
Gross Margin
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
88.9%
Q4 25
95.2%
Q3 25
87.6%
Q2 25
87.7%
Q1 25
81.7%
Q4 24
76.7%
Q3 24
77.5%
Q2 24
73.8%
Operating Margin
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
78.2%
Q4 25
31.5%
Q3 25
76.8%
35.4%
Q2 25
76.1%
37.8%
Q1 25
44.7%
38.3%
Q4 24
44.3%
37.4%
Q3 24
44.6%
52.3%
Q2 24
36.2%
37.2%
Net Margin
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
65.5%
Q4 25
82.7%
21.7%
Q3 25
59.5%
22.9%
Q2 25
65.1%
24.7%
Q1 25
38.8%
25.1%
Q4 24
43.6%
24.2%
Q3 24
36.3%
36.0%
Q2 24
28.7%
24.2%
EPS (diluted)
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$3.56
Q4 25
$3.24
$2.87
Q3 25
$2.45
$3.16
Q2 25
$2.39
$3.41
Q1 25
$1.67
$3.31
Q4 24
$1.72
$3.24
Q3 24
$1.25
$4.85
Q2 24
$0.89
$3.25

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$2.8B
$1.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$3.5B
$16.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.4B
$15.5B
Total Assets
$7.7B
$45.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.49×
1.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$2.8B
Q4 25
$2.5B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$1.7B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$1.2B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$551.0M
$1.0B
Q4 24
$741.4M
$1.6B
Q3 24
$567.6M
$975.0M
Q2 24
$460.4M
$659.0M
Total Debt
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$3.5B
Q4 25
$3.5B
$16.5B
Q3 25
$16.5B
Q2 25
$16.5B
Q1 25
$16.7B
Q4 24
$3.5B
$16.7B
Q3 24
$16.6B
Q2 24
$16.9B
Stockholders' Equity
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$2.4B
Q4 25
$2.1B
$15.5B
Q3 25
$1.5B
$15.1B
Q2 25
$1.2B
$14.8B
Q1 25
$575.4M
$14.5B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$14.3B
Q3 24
$938.2M
$13.8B
Q2 24
$814.8M
$13.0B
Total Assets
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$7.7B
Q4 25
$7.3B
$45.2B
Q3 25
$6.3B
$44.6B
Q2 25
$6.0B
$44.2B
Q1 25
$5.7B
$43.8B
Q4 24
$5.9B
$43.7B
Q3 24
$5.4B
$43.3B
Q2 24
$5.3B
$42.6B
Debt / Equity
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
1.49×
Q4 25
1.65×
1.06×
Q3 25
1.09×
Q2 25
1.11×
Q1 25
1.15×
Q4 24
3.22×
1.16×
Q3 24
1.21×
Q2 24
1.30×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.3B
$1.1B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.3B
$334.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
69.8%
11.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
24.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.07×
1.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$2.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$1.3B
Q4 25
$1.3B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$1.1B
$1.3B
Q2 25
$772.2M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$831.7M
$950.0M
Q4 24
$701.0M
$951.0M
Q3 24
$550.7M
$1.2B
Q2 24
$454.5M
$1.0B
Free Cash Flow
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$1.3B
Q4 25
$334.0M
Q3 25
$720.0M
Q2 25
$602.0M
Q1 25
$501.0M
Q4 24
$276.0M
Q3 24
$645.0M
Q2 24
$468.0M
FCF Margin
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
69.8%
Q4 25
11.2%
Q3 25
23.2%
Q2 25
19.4%
Q1 25
16.7%
Q4 24
9.1%
Q3 24
21.1%
Q2 24
15.4%
Capex Intensity
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
Q4 25
24.5%
Q3 25
17.8%
Q2 25
15.3%
Q1 25
15.0%
Q4 24
22.3%
Q3 24
19.0%
Q2 24
18.7%
Cash Conversion
APP
APP
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
1.07×
Q4 25
1.19×
1.65×
Q3 25
1.26×
1.79×
Q2 25
0.94×
1.40×
Q1 25
1.44×
1.27×
Q4 24
1.17×
1.30×
Q3 24
1.27×
1.12×
Q2 24
1.47×
1.41×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

APP
APP

Segment breakdown not available.

NSC
NSC

Railway Operating Revenues Market Group Merchandise$1.9B63%
Metals And Construction$404.0M14%
Railway Operating Revenues Market Group Coal$347.0M12%
Automotive$293.0M10%

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