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Side-by-side financial comparison of AvalonBay Communities (AVB) and MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC (MSM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($965.7M vs $767.9M, roughly 1.3× AvalonBay Communities). AvalonBay Communities runs the higher net margin — 9040.6% vs 5.4%, a 9035.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.0% vs 3.7%). AvalonBay Communities produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.4B vs $7.4M). Over the past eight quarters, AvalonBay Communities's revenue compounded faster (3.8% CAGR vs -3.4%).

AvalonBay Communities, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that invests in apartments.

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc (MSC), through its subsidiaries, primarily MSC Industrial Supply Co., is one of the largest industrial equipment distributors in the United States, distributing more than 1.5 million metalworking and other industrial products.

AVB vs MSM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MSM
MSM
1.3× larger
MSM
$965.7M
$767.9M
AVB
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MSM
MSM
+0.3% gap
MSM
4.0%
3.7%
AVB
Higher net margin
AVB
AVB
9035.2% more per $
AVB
9040.6%
5.4%
MSM
More free cash flow
AVB
AVB
$1.4B more FCF
AVB
$1.4B
$7.4M
MSM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
AVB
AVB
Annualised
AVB
3.8%
-3.4%
MSM

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Revenue
$767.9M
$965.7M
Net Profit
$166.0M
$51.8M
Gross Margin
40.7%
Operating Margin
64.2%
7.9%
Net Margin
9040.6%
5.4%
Revenue YoY
3.7%
4.0%
Net Profit YoY
-41.2%
11.1%
EPS (diluted)
$1.18
$0.93

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
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$767.9M
$965.7M
Q3 25
$766.8M
$978.2M
Q2 25
$760.2M
$971.1M
Q1 25
$745.9M
Q4 24
$740.5M
$928.5M
Q3 24
$734.3M
Q2 24
$726.0M
$979.4M
Q1 24
$712.9M
$935.3M
Net Profit
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$166.0M
$51.8M
Q3 25
$381.3M
$56.5M
Q2 25
$268.7M
$56.8M
Q1 25
$236.6M
Q4 24
$282.1M
$46.6M
Q3 24
$372.5M
Q2 24
$253.9M
$71.7M
Q1 24
$173.4M
$61.8M
Gross Margin
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
40.7%
Q3 25
40.4%
Q2 25
41.0%
Q1 25
Q4 24
40.7%
Q3 24
Q2 24
40.9%
Q1 24
41.5%
Operating Margin
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
64.2%
7.9%
Q3 25
65.7%
8.6%
Q2 25
67.6%
8.5%
Q1 25
68.5%
Q4 24
63.1%
7.8%
Q3 24
65.4%
Q2 24
66.6%
10.9%
Q1 24
67.2%
9.7%
Net Margin
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
9040.6%
5.4%
Q3 25
49.7%
5.8%
Q2 25
35.3%
5.9%
Q1 25
31.7%
Q4 24
38.1%
5.0%
Q3 24
50.7%
Q2 24
35.0%
7.3%
Q1 24
24.3%
6.6%
EPS (diluted)
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$1.18
$0.93
Q3 25
$2.68
$1.02
Q2 25
$1.88
$1.02
Q1 25
$1.66
Q4 24
$1.99
$0.83
Q3 24
$2.61
Q2 24
$1.78
$1.27
Q1 24
$1.22
$1.10

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$187.2M
$40.3M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$9.3B
$214.1M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$11.6B
$1.4B
Total Assets
$22.2B
$2.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.80×
0.16×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$187.2M
$40.3M
Q3 25
$123.3M
$56.2M
Q2 25
$102.8M
$71.7M
Q1 25
$53.3M
Q4 24
$108.6M
$57.3M
Q3 24
$552.4M
Q2 24
$545.8M
$25.9M
Q1 24
$287.9M
$22.2M
Total Debt
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$9.3B
$214.1M
Q3 25
$8.7B
$168.8M
Q2 25
$8.7B
$285.0M
Q1 25
$8.3B
Q4 24
$8.1B
$289.9M
Q3 24
$8.4B
Q2 24
$8.4B
$299.8M
Q1 24
$8.0B
$294.5M
Stockholders' Equity
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$11.6B
$1.4B
Q3 25
$11.9B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$11.9B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$11.9B
Q4 24
$11.9B
$1.4B
Q3 24
$11.9B
Q2 24
$11.7B
$1.4B
Q1 24
$11.7B
$1.4B
Total Assets
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$22.2B
$2.5B
Q3 25
$21.9B
$2.5B
Q2 25
$21.8B
$2.5B
Q1 25
$21.2B
Q4 24
$21.0B
$2.5B
Q3 24
$21.3B
Q2 24
$21.0B
$2.5B
Q1 24
$20.6B
$2.5B
Debt / Equity
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
0.80×
0.16×
Q3 25
0.73×
0.12×
Q2 25
0.72×
0.21×
Q1 25
0.70×
Q4 24
0.68×
0.21×
Q3 24
0.70×
Q2 24
0.71×
0.21×
Q1 24
0.68×
0.21×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.7B
$29.4M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.4B
$7.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
183.5%
0.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
34.1%
2.3%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
10.07×
0.57×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$2.5B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$1.7B
$29.4M
Q3 25
$477.0M
Q2 25
$377.8M
$151.6M
Q1 25
$415.9M
Q4 24
$1.6B
$101.9M
Q3 24
$486.2M
Q2 24
$380.0M
$143.5M
Q1 24
$412.9M
$78.7M
Free Cash Flow
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$1.4B
$7.4M
Q3 25
$402.2M
Q2 25
$317.1M
$100.7M
Q1 25
$367.5M
Q4 24
$1.4B
$81.7M
Q3 24
$434.2M
Q2 24
$333.0M
$114.0M
Q1 24
$375.4M
$53.4M
FCF Margin
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
183.5%
0.8%
Q3 25
52.5%
Q2 25
41.7%
10.4%
Q1 25
49.3%
Q4 24
191.0%
8.8%
Q3 24
59.1%
Q2 24
45.9%
11.6%
Q1 24
52.7%
5.7%
Capex Intensity
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
34.1%
2.3%
Q3 25
9.8%
Q2 25
8.0%
5.2%
Q1 25
6.5%
Q4 24
26.1%
2.2%
Q3 24
7.1%
Q2 24
6.5%
3.0%
Q1 24
5.3%
2.7%
Cash Conversion
AVB
AVB
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
10.07×
0.57×
Q3 25
1.25×
Q2 25
1.41×
2.67×
Q1 25
1.76×
Q4 24
5.70×
2.18×
Q3 24
1.31×
Q2 24
1.50×
2.00×
Q1 24
2.38×
1.27×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

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