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Side-by-side financial comparison of ASHLAND INC. (ASH) and Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Mid-America Apartment Communities is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($553.7M vs $386.0M, roughly 1.4× ASHLAND INC.). On growth, Mid-America Apartment Communities posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (438.7% vs -4.7%). Over the past eight quarters, Mid-America Apartment Communities's revenue compounded faster (0.7% CAGR vs -18.1%).

Ashland, Inc., is an American chemical company headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The company began as an oil refinery in the city of Ashland, Kentucky, in 1924, before moving to Wilmington in 1994. The company has five wholly owned divisions, which include Chemical Intermediates and Solvents, composites, industrial specialties, personal and home care, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and agriculture. Until 2017, the company was the primary manufacturer of Valvoline.

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (MAA) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust based in Memphis, Tennessee that invests in apartments in the Southeastern United States and the Southwestern United States.

ASH vs MAA — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MAA
MAA
1.4× larger
MAA
$553.7M
$386.0M
ASH
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MAA
MAA
+443.4% gap
MAA
438.7%
-4.7%
ASH
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MAA
MAA
Annualised
MAA
0.7%
-18.1%
ASH

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Revenue
$386.0M
$553.7M
Net Profit
$-12.0M
Gross Margin
27.2%
Operating Margin
-1.6%
Net Margin
-3.1%
Revenue YoY
-4.7%
438.7%
Net Profit YoY
92.7%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.26
$4.34

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
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
$553.7M
Q4 25
$386.0M
$555.6M
Q3 25
$477.0M
$554.4M
Q2 25
$463.0M
$549.9M
Q1 25
$479.0M
$549.3M
Q4 24
$405.0M
$549.8M
Q3 24
$521.0M
$551.1M
Q2 24
$544.0M
$546.4M
Net Profit
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-12.0M
$57.6M
Q3 25
$31.0M
$99.5M
Q2 25
$-742.0M
$108.1M
Q1 25
$31.0M
$181.7M
Q4 24
$-165.0M
$166.6M
Q3 24
$17.0M
$115.2M
Q2 24
$6.0M
$102.0M
Gross Margin
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
27.2%
Q3 25
33.3%
Q2 25
28.5%
Q1 25
30.7%
Q4 24
27.4%
Q3 24
33.2%
Q2 24
34.2%
Operating Margin
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
-1.6%
10.4%
Q3 25
12.8%
18.7%
Q2 25
-152.9%
20.2%
Q1 25
10.6%
34.0%
Q4 24
-44.2%
31.3%
Q3 24
6.1%
21.5%
Q2 24
-11.2%
19.3%
Net Margin
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
-3.1%
10.4%
Q3 25
6.5%
18.0%
Q2 25
-160.3%
19.7%
Q1 25
6.5%
33.1%
Q4 24
-40.7%
30.3%
Q3 24
3.3%
20.9%
Q2 24
1.1%
18.7%
EPS (diluted)
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
$4.34
Q4 25
$-0.26
$0.48
Q3 25
$0.83
$0.84
Q2 25
$-16.21
$0.92
Q1 25
$0.65
$1.54
Q4 24
$-3.50
$1.43
Q3 24
$0.34
$0.98
Q2 24
$0.12
$0.86

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$304.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.9B
Total Assets
$4.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.74×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$304.0M
$60.3M
Q3 25
$215.0M
$32.2M
Q2 25
$207.0M
$54.5M
Q1 25
$168.0M
$55.8M
Q4 24
$219.0M
$43.0M
Q3 24
$300.0M
$50.2M
Q2 24
$399.0M
$62.8M
Total Debt
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.4B
Q3 25
$1.4B
Q2 25
$1.4B
Q1 25
$1.3B
Q4 24
$1.3B
Q3 24
$1.3B
Q2 24
$1.3B
Stockholders' Equity
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.9B
$5.7B
Q3 25
$1.9B
$5.8B
Q2 25
$1.9B
$5.9B
Q1 25
$2.6B
$5.9B
Q4 24
$2.6B
$5.9B
Q3 24
$2.9B
$5.9B
Q2 24
$3.0B
$6.0B
Total Assets
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$4.5B
$12.0B
Q3 25
$4.6B
$11.9B
Q2 25
$4.6B
$11.8B
Q1 25
$5.2B
$11.8B
Q4 24
$5.2B
$11.8B
Q3 24
$5.6B
$11.8B
Q2 24
$5.7B
$11.6B
Debt / Equity
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.74×
Q3 25
0.73×
Q2 25
0.73×
Q1 25
0.52×
Q4 24
0.51×
Q3 24
0.47×
Q2 24
0.45×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$125.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$111.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
28.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$200.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$125.0M
$261.7M
Q3 25
$40.0M
$266.4M
Q2 25
$115.0M
$353.4M
Q1 25
$9.0M
$196.6M
Q4 24
$-30.0M
$239.1M
Q3 24
$80.0M
$309.5M
Q2 24
$127.0M
$349.4M
Free Cash Flow
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$111.0M
$158.6M
Q3 25
$6.0M
$170.8M
Q2 25
$95.0M
$264.5M
Q1 25
$-12.0M
$124.0M
Q4 24
$-53.0M
$152.6M
Q3 24
$42.0M
$215.5M
Q2 24
$98.0M
$259.7M
FCF Margin
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
28.8%
28.5%
Q3 25
1.3%
30.8%
Q2 25
20.5%
48.1%
Q1 25
-2.5%
22.6%
Q4 24
-13.1%
27.8%
Q3 24
8.1%
39.1%
Q2 24
18.0%
47.5%
Capex Intensity
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
3.6%
18.6%
Q3 25
7.1%
17.2%
Q2 25
4.3%
16.2%
Q1 25
4.4%
13.2%
Q4 24
5.7%
15.7%
Q3 24
7.3%
17.1%
Q2 24
5.3%
16.4%
Cash Conversion
ASH
ASH
MAA
MAA
Q1 26
Q4 25
4.55×
Q3 25
1.29×
2.68×
Q2 25
3.27×
Q1 25
0.29×
1.08×
Q4 24
1.43×
Q3 24
4.71×
2.69×
Q2 24
21.17×
3.43×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ASH
ASH

Personal Care And Household$123.0M32%
Other$120.0M31%
Specialty Additives$36.0M9%
Intermediates And Solvents$31.0M8%
Personal Care$30.0M8%
Life Sciences$27.0M7%
Intermediates$19.0M5%

MAA
MAA

Same Store Communities$517.0M93%
Non-Same Store Communities$22.1M4%
Lease-up/Development Communities$7.7M1%
Commercial Property/Land$7.0M1%

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