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Side-by-side financial comparison of ARCBEST CORP (ARCB) and STEPAN CO (SCL). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
ARCBEST CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($998.8M vs $604.5M, roughly 1.7× STEPAN CO). STEPAN CO runs the higher net margin — 3.3% vs -0.1%, a 3.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ARCBEST CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (3.3% vs 1.9%). Over the past eight quarters, STEPAN CO's revenue compounded faster (4.2% CAGR vs -3.7%).
ArcBest Corporation is a leading U.S.-based logistics and transportation solutions provider. It offers end-to-end supply chain services including less-than-truckload freight shipping, full truckload services, warehousing, expedited delivery, and customized logistics consulting, serving enterprise, small business, and government clients across North America and select global markets.
Stepan Company is an American manufacturer of specialty chemicals headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. The company was founded in 1932 by Alfred C. Stepan, Jr., and has approximately 2,000 employees. It is currently run by his grandson, F. Quinn Stepan, Jr. The company describes itself as the largest global merchant manufacturer of anionic surfactants, which are used to enhance the foaming and cleaning capabilities of detergents, shampoos, toothpastes, and cosmetics.
ARCB vs SCL — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $998.8M | $604.5M |
| Net Profit | $-1.0M | $19.7M |
| Gross Margin | — | 10.7% |
| Operating Margin | 0.3% | 4.7% |
| Net Margin | -0.1% | 3.3% |
| Revenue YoY | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Net Profit YoY | -133.1% | — |
| EPS (diluted) | $-0.05 | $0.86 |
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.
| Q1 26 | $998.8M | $604.5M | ||
| Q4 25 | $972.7M | $553.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.0B | $590.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.0B | $594.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $967.1M | $593.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.0B | $525.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.1B | $546.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.1B | $556.4M |
| Q1 26 | $-1.0M | $19.7M | ||
| Q4 25 | $-8.1M | $5.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $39.3M | $10.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $25.8M | $11.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $3.1M | $19.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $29.0M | $3.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $100.3M | $23.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $46.9M | $9.5M |
| Q1 26 | — | 10.7% | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 9.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 12.0% | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 12.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 12.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 10.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 13.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 12.5% |
| Q1 26 | 0.3% | 4.7% | ||
| Q4 25 | -0.8% | 1.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 5.2% | 3.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 3.6% | 3.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.7% | 4.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.8% | 1.5% | ||
| Q3 24 | 12.7% | 4.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Q1 26 | -0.1% | 3.3% | ||
| Q4 25 | -0.8% | 0.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.7% | 1.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.5% | 1.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.3% | 3.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.9% | 0.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | 9.4% | 4.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.4% | 1.7% |
| Q1 26 | $-0.05 | $0.86 | ||
| Q4 25 | $-0.35 | $0.22 | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.72 | $0.47 | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.12 | $0.50 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.13 | $0.86 | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.21 | $0.14 | ||
| Q3 24 | $4.23 | $1.03 | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.96 | $0.42 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $86.4M | — |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $223.7M | $328.4M |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $1.3B | $1.2B |
| Total Assets | $2.5B | $2.3B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.17× | 0.28× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $86.4M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $124.2M | $132.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $132.6M | $118.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $139.7M | $88.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | $98.7M | $107.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $157.2M | $99.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $191.1M | $147.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $260.5M | $124.7M |
| Q1 26 | $223.7M | $328.4M | ||
| Q4 25 | — | $626.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $214.1M | $655.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $241.4M | $658.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $214.2M | $659.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $189.1M | $625.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $180.5M | $688.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $203.6M | $657.1M |
| Q1 26 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.2B | $1.2B |
| Q1 26 | $2.5B | $2.3B | ||
| Q4 25 | $2.5B | $2.4B | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.5B | $2.4B | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.5B | $2.4B | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.4B | $2.4B | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.4B | $2.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.4B | $2.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $2.4B | $2.3B |
| Q1 26 | 0.17× | 0.28× | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 0.50× | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.16× | 0.53× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.19× | 0.53× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.17× | 0.55× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.14× | 0.53× | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.14× | 0.56× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.17× | 0.55× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
ARCB
Segment breakdown not available.
SCL
| Surfactants | $453.7M | 75% |
| Polymers | $130.0M | 22% |
| Specialty Products | $20.8M | 3% |
