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Side-by-side financial comparison of ASHLAND INC. (ASH) and UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS INC (UCB). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
ASHLAND INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($386.0M vs $276.5M, roughly 1.4× UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS INC). UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS INC runs the higher net margin — 30.5% vs -3.1%, a 33.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (11.6% vs -4.7%). Over the past eight quarters, UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS INC's revenue compounded faster (6.2% 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.
United Community is an American bank. United is one of the largest full-service financial institutions in the Southeast, with $27.7 billion in assets and 200 offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. In addition to its presence in the Southeast, United Community is the largest bank headquartered in South Carolina by total asset size.
ASH vs UCB — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $386.0M | $276.5M |
| Net Profit | $-12.0M | $84.3M |
| Gross Margin | 27.2% | — |
| Operating Margin | -1.6% | — |
| Net Margin | -3.1% | 30.5% |
| Revenue YoY | -4.7% | 11.6% |
| Net Profit YoY | 92.7% | 18.0% |
| EPS (diluted) | $-0.26 | $0.69 |
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 | — | $276.5M | ||
| Q4 25 | $386.0M | $278.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $477.0M | $276.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $463.0M | $260.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $479.0M | $247.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $405.0M | $250.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $521.0M | $217.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $544.0M | $245.3M |
| Q1 26 | — | $84.3M | ||
| Q4 25 | $-12.0M | $86.5M | ||
| Q3 25 | $31.0M | $91.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-742.0M | $78.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $31.0M | $71.4M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-165.0M | $75.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $17.0M | $47.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $6.0M | $66.6M |
| 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% | — |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | -1.6% | 40.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | 12.8% | 42.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | -152.9% | 38.6% | ||
| Q1 25 | 10.6% | 36.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | -44.2% | 38.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 6.1% | 27.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | -11.2% | 35.1% |
| Q1 26 | — | 30.5% | ||
| Q4 25 | -3.1% | 31.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | 6.5% | 33.0% | ||
| Q2 25 | -160.3% | 30.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 6.5% | 28.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | -40.7% | 30.2% | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.3% | 21.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.1% | 27.2% |
| Q1 26 | — | $0.69 | ||
| Q4 25 | $-0.26 | $0.71 | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.83 | $0.70 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-16.21 | $0.63 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.65 | $0.58 | ||
| Q4 24 | $-3.50 | $0.61 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.34 | $0.38 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.12 | $0.54 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $304.0M | $493.1M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $1.4B | $205.5M |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $1.9B | $3.7B |
| Total Assets | $4.5B | $28.2M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.74× | 0.06× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $493.1M | ||
| Q4 25 | $304.0M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $215.0M | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $207.0M | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $168.0M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $219.0M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $300.0M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $399.0M | — |
| Q1 26 | — | $205.5M | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.4B | $120.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.4B | $155.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.4B | $155.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.3B | $254.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.3B | $254.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.3B | $316.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.3B | $324.9M |
| Q1 26 | — | $3.7B | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.9B | $3.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.9B | $3.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.9B | $3.6B | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.6B | $3.5B | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.6B | $3.4B | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.9B | $3.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.0B | $3.3B |
| Q1 26 | — | $28.2M | ||
| Q4 25 | $4.5B | $28.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $4.6B | $28.1B | ||
| Q2 25 | $4.6B | $28.1B | ||
| Q1 25 | $5.2B | $27.9B | ||
| Q4 24 | $5.2B | $27.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $5.6B | $27.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $5.7B | $27.1B |
| Q1 26 | — | 0.06× | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.74× | 0.03× | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.73× | 0.04× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.73× | 0.04× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.52× | 0.07× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.51× | 0.07× | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.47× | 0.09× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.45× | 0.10× |
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 | $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.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $125.0M | $384.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $40.0M | $123.1M | ||
| Q2 25 | $115.0M | $96.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $9.0M | $98.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-30.0M | $349.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $80.0M | $7.7M | ||
| Q2 24 | $127.0M | $105.1M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $111.0M | $356.5M | ||
| Q3 25 | $6.0M | $117.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $95.0M | $84.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-12.0M | $94.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-53.0M | $302.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $42.0M | $-2.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $98.0M | $87.2M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 28.8% | 128.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.3% | 42.5% | ||
| Q2 25 | 20.5% | 32.6% | ||
| Q1 25 | -2.5% | 38.1% | ||
| Q4 24 | -13.1% | 120.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 8.1% | -1.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 18.0% | 35.6% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 3.6% | 9.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 7.1% | 1.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | 4.3% | 4.7% | ||
| Q1 25 | 4.4% | 1.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 5.7% | 18.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 7.3% | 4.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 5.3% | 7.3% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 4.44× | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.29× | 1.35× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 1.23× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.29× | 1.38× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 4.61× | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.71× | 0.16× | ||
| Q2 24 | 21.17× | 1.58× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
ASH
| Personal Care And Household | $123.0M | 32% |
| Other | $120.0M | 31% |
| Specialty Additives | $36.0M | 9% |
| Intermediates And Solvents | $31.0M | 8% |
| Personal Care | $30.0M | 8% |
| Life Sciences | $27.0M | 7% |
| Intermediates | $19.0M | 5% |
UCB
| Deposits | $98.0M | 35% |
| Investment securities, including tax exempt of $1,646 and $1,678, respectively | $45.3M | 16% |
| Money market | $40.7M | 15% |
| Time | $28.7M | 10% |
| NOW and interest-bearing demand | $28.1M | 10% |
| Service charges and fees | $9.5M | 3% |
| Other | $8.0M | 3% |
| Mortgage loan gains and other related fees | $8.0M | 3% |
| Wealth management fees | $4.6M | 2% |
| Lending and loan servicing fees | $4.0M | 1% |
| Deposits in banks and short-term investments | $1.2M | 0% |
| Securities gains, net | $133.0K | 0% |
