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Side-by-side financial comparison of Academy Sports & Outdoors, Inc. (ASO) and ESAB Corp (ESAB). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Academy Sports & Outdoors, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.4B vs $727.8M, roughly 1.9× ESAB Corp). ESAB Corp runs the higher net margin — 7.5% vs 5.2%, a 2.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ESAB Corp posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (8.5% vs 3.0%). ESAB Corp produced more free cash flow last quarter ($70.3M vs $-13.6M). Over the past eight quarters, ESAB Corp's revenue compounded faster (2.8% CAGR vs -12.2%).

Academy Sports + Outdoors is an American sporting-goods store chain with corporate offices in the Katy Distribution Center in unincorporated western Harris County, Texas, United States, near Katy and west of Houston. For 74 years, it was a privately held company owned by the Gochman family, until its May 2011 acquisition by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. In October 2020, it was listed on NASDAQ.

ESAB, Elektriska Svetsnings-Aktiebolaget, is an American-Swedish industrial company.

ASO vs ESAB — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
ASO
ASO
1.9× larger
ASO
$1.4B
$727.8M
ESAB
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ESAB
ESAB
+5.5% gap
ESAB
8.5%
3.0%
ASO
Higher net margin
ESAB
ESAB
2.4% more per $
ESAB
7.5%
5.2%
ASO
More free cash flow
ESAB
ESAB
$83.9M more FCF
ESAB
$70.3M
$-13.6M
ASO
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ESAB
ESAB
Annualised
ESAB
2.8%
-12.2%
ASO

Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2025

Metric
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Revenue
$1.4B
$727.8M
Net Profit
$71.6M
$54.8M
Gross Margin
35.7%
37.0%
Operating Margin
7.3%
14.6%
Net Margin
5.2%
7.5%
Revenue YoY
3.0%
8.5%
Net Profit YoY
8.8%
2.1%
EPS (diluted)
$1.05
$0.90

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
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$1.4B
$727.8M
Q3 25
$1.6B
$715.6M
Q2 25
$1.4B
$678.1M
Q1 25
$1.7B
Q4 24
$1.3B
$670.8M
Q3 24
$1.5B
$673.3M
Q2 24
$1.4B
$707.1M
Q1 24
$1.8B
$689.7M
Net Profit
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$71.6M
$54.8M
Q3 25
$125.4M
$66.9M
Q2 25
$46.1M
$67.4M
Q1 25
$133.6M
Q4 24
$65.8M
$53.7M
Q3 24
$142.6M
$68.2M
Q2 24
$76.5M
$82.9M
Q1 24
$168.2M
$60.0M
Gross Margin
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
35.7%
37.0%
Q3 25
36.0%
37.2%
Q2 25
34.0%
37.6%
Q1 25
32.2%
Q4 24
34.0%
38.5%
Q3 24
36.1%
37.7%
Q2 24
33.4%
38.2%
Q1 24
33.3%
37.0%
Operating Margin
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
7.3%
14.6%
Q3 25
10.8%
15.2%
Q2 25
5.1%
16.2%
Q1 25
9.2%
Q4 24
6.8%
16.6%
Q3 24
12.3%
15.7%
Q2 24
7.5%
16.9%
Q1 24
11.4%
16.0%
Net Margin
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
5.2%
7.5%
Q3 25
7.8%
9.3%
Q2 25
3.4%
9.9%
Q1 25
8.0%
Q4 24
4.9%
8.0%
Q3 24
9.2%
10.1%
Q2 24
5.6%
11.7%
Q1 24
9.4%
8.7%
EPS (diluted)
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$1.05
$0.90
Q3 25
$1.85
$1.09
Q2 25
$0.68
$1.10
Q1 25
$1.85
Q4 24
$0.92
$0.87
Q3 24
$1.95
$1.11
Q2 24
$1.01
$1.35
Q1 24
$2.19
$0.98

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$289.5M
$218.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.3B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.1B
$2.1B
Total Assets
$5.4B
$4.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.63×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$289.5M
$218.2M
Q3 25
$300.9M
$258.2M
Q2 25
$285.1M
$291.3M
Q1 25
$288.9M
Q4 24
$296.0M
$249.4M
Q3 24
$324.6M
$253.7M
Q2 24
$378.1M
$228.5M
Q1 24
$347.9M
$76.5M
Total Debt
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$1.3B
Q3 25
$1.1B
Q2 25
$1.1B
Q1 25
Q4 24
$1.1B
Q3 24
$1.1B
Q2 24
$1.1B
Q1 24
$992.8M
Stockholders' Equity
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$2.1B
$2.1B
Q3 25
$2.1B
$2.1B
Q2 25
$1.9B
$1.9B
Q1 25
$2.0B
Q4 24
$2.0B
$1.8B
Q3 24
$2.0B
$1.8B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$1.7B
Q1 24
$2.0B
$1.6B
Total Assets
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$5.4B
$4.9B
Q3 25
$5.3B
$4.4B
Q2 25
$5.2B
$4.2B
Q1 25
$4.9B
Q4 24
$5.1B
$4.0B
Q3 24
$4.9B
$4.1B
Q2 24
$4.9B
$4.0B
Q1 24
$4.7B
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
0.63×
Q3 25
0.51×
Q2 25
0.55×
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.60×
Q3 24
0.59×
Q2 24
0.63×
Q1 24
0.61×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$49.0M
$81.5M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-13.6M
$70.3M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-1.0%
9.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
4.5%
1.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.68×
1.49×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$191.4M
$238.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$49.0M
$81.5M
Q3 25
$78.6M
$46.6M
Q2 25
$157.5M
$35.4M
Q1 25
$140.2M
Q4 24
$96.9M
$126.9M
Q3 24
$91.3M
$101.0M
Q2 24
$199.7M
$83.0M
Q1 24
$234.7M
$44.5M
Free Cash Flow
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
$-13.6M
$70.3M
Q3 25
$21.8M
$37.4M
Q2 25
$106.6M
$28.1M
Q1 25
$76.4M
Q4 24
$34.4M
$102.2M
Q3 24
$50.1M
$90.4M
Q2 24
$167.4M
$74.0M
Q1 24
$178.9M
$37.1M
FCF Margin
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
-1.0%
9.7%
Q3 25
1.4%
5.2%
Q2 25
7.9%
4.1%
Q1 25
4.6%
Q4 24
2.6%
15.2%
Q3 24
3.2%
13.4%
Q2 24
12.3%
10.5%
Q1 24
10.0%
5.4%
Capex Intensity
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
4.5%
1.5%
Q3 25
3.5%
1.3%
Q2 25
3.8%
1.1%
Q1 25
3.8%
Q4 24
4.6%
3.7%
Q3 24
2.7%
1.6%
Q2 24
2.4%
1.3%
Q1 24
3.1%
1.1%
Cash Conversion
ASO
ASO
ESAB
ESAB
Q4 25
0.68×
1.49×
Q3 25
0.63×
0.70×
Q2 25
3.42×
0.53×
Q1 25
1.05×
Q4 24
1.47×
2.36×
Q3 24
0.64×
1.48×
Q2 24
2.61×
1.00×
Q1 24
1.40×
0.74×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ASO
ASO

Outdoors$445.1M32%
Apparel$349.8M25%
Footwear$292.4M21%
Sports And Recreation$288.7M21%
Other$7.6M1%

ESAB
ESAB

Consumable Products$477.9M66%
Equipment Products$249.9M34%

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