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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS INC (AXL) and Designer Brands Inc. (DBI). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.4B vs $752.4M, roughly 1.8× Designer Brands Inc.). Designer Brands Inc. runs the higher net margin — 2.4% vs -5.4%, a 7.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (0.2% vs -3.2%). Designer Brands Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($57.5M vs $54.7M). Over the past eight quarters, Designer Brands Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (-0.1% CAGR vs -7.2%).

American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (AAM), headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is an American manufacturer of automobile driveline and drivetrain components and systems.

Designer Brands Inc. is an American company that sells designer and name brand shoes and fashion accessories. It owns the Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) store chain, and operates over 500 stores in the United States and an e-commerce website.

AXL vs DBI — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
AXL
AXL
1.8× larger
AXL
$1.4B
$752.4M
DBI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
AXL
AXL
+3.4% gap
AXL
0.2%
-3.2%
DBI
Higher net margin
DBI
DBI
7.9% more per $
DBI
2.4%
-5.4%
AXL
More free cash flow
DBI
DBI
$2.8M more FCF
DBI
$57.5M
$54.7M
AXL
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
DBI
DBI
Annualised
DBI
-0.1%
-7.2%
AXL

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Revenue
$1.4B
$752.4M
Net Profit
$-75.3M
$18.2M
Gross Margin
10.2%
45.1%
Operating Margin
-2.4%
5.7%
Net Margin
-5.4%
2.4%
Revenue YoY
0.2%
-3.2%
Net Profit YoY
-449.6%
40.0%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.62
$0.35

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
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$1.4B
$752.4M
Q3 25
$1.5B
$739.8M
Q2 25
$1.5B
$686.9M
Q1 25
$1.4B
$713.6M
Q4 24
$1.4B
$777.2M
Q3 24
$1.5B
$771.9M
Q2 24
$1.6B
$746.6M
Q1 24
$1.6B
$754.3M
Net Profit
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$-75.3M
$18.2M
Q3 25
$9.2M
$10.8M
Q2 25
$39.3M
$-17.4M
Q1 25
$7.1M
$-38.2M
Q4 24
$-13.7M
$13.0M
Q3 24
$10.0M
$13.8M
Q2 24
$18.2M
$783.0K
Q1 24
$20.5M
$-29.6M
Gross Margin
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
10.2%
45.1%
Q3 25
12.6%
43.7%
Q2 25
13.1%
43.0%
Q1 25
12.3%
75.7%
Q4 24
11.2%
43.0%
Q3 24
11.4%
44.0%
Q2 24
13.3%
44.2%
Q1 24
12.4%
38.8%
Operating Margin
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
-2.4%
5.7%
Q3 25
3.2%
3.6%
Q2 25
3.6%
-1.1%
Q1 25
3.0%
-3.6%
Q4 24
2.6%
2.9%
Q3 24
2.8%
3.7%
Q2 24
5.3%
1.3%
Q1 24
4.8%
-4.8%
Net Margin
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
-5.4%
2.4%
Q3 25
0.6%
1.5%
Q2 25
2.6%
-2.5%
Q1 25
0.5%
-5.3%
Q4 24
-1.0%
1.7%
Q3 24
0.7%
1.8%
Q2 24
1.1%
0.1%
Q1 24
1.3%
-3.9%
EPS (diluted)
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$-0.62
$0.35
Q3 25
$0.07
$0.22
Q2 25
$0.32
$-0.36
Q1 25
$0.06
$-0.69
Q4 24
$-0.11
$0.24
Q3 24
$0.08
$0.24
Q2 24
$0.15
$0.01
Q1 24
$0.17
$-899.54

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$708.9M
$51.4M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$4.0B
$463.1M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$640.0M
$298.6M
Total Assets
$6.7B
$2.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
6.31×
1.55×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$708.9M
$51.4M
Q3 25
$714.1M
$44.9M
Q2 25
$586.5M
$46.0M
Q1 25
$549.2M
$44.8M
Q4 24
$552.9M
$36.2M
Q3 24
$542.5M
$38.8M
Q2 24
$519.9M
$43.4M
Q1 24
$469.8M
$49.2M
Total Debt
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$4.0B
$463.1M
Q3 25
$2.6B
$509.6M
Q2 25
$2.6B
$516.2M
Q1 25
$2.6B
$484.3M
Q4 24
$2.6B
$529.6M
Q3 24
$2.6B
$459.0M
Q2 24
$2.7B
$469.3M
Q1 24
$2.7B
$420.3M
Stockholders' Equity
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$640.0M
$298.6M
Q3 25
$718.4M
$280.8M
Q2 25
$673.0M
$266.9M
Q1 25
$596.3M
$278.5M
Q4 24
$562.8M
$318.5M
Q3 24
$616.3M
$355.5M
Q2 24
$609.6M
$358.5M
Q1 24
$621.4M
$359.2M
Total Assets
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$6.7B
$2.1B
Q3 25
$5.3B
$2.1B
Q2 25
$5.3B
$2.1B
Q1 25
$5.1B
$2.0B
Q4 24
$5.1B
$2.1B
Q3 24
$5.3B
$2.1B
Q2 24
$5.3B
$2.2B
Q1 24
$5.4B
$2.1B
Debt / Equity
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
6.31×
1.55×
Q3 25
3.61×
1.81×
Q2 25
3.86×
1.93×
Q1 25
4.38×
1.74×
Q4 24
4.58×
1.66×
Q3 24
4.28×
1.29×
Q2 24
4.42×
1.31×
Q1 24
4.40×
1.17×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$120.5M
$66.5M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$54.7M
$57.5M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
4.0%
7.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
4.8%
1.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
3.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$155.1M
$99.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$120.5M
$66.5M
Q3 25
$143.3M
$21.4M
Q2 25
$91.9M
$-20.4M
Q1 25
$55.9M
$70.1M
Q4 24
$151.2M
$-9.8M
Q3 24
$143.6M
$41.6M
Q2 24
$142.8M
$-19.7M
Q1 24
$17.8M
$-40.1M
Free Cash Flow
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
$54.7M
$57.5M
Q3 25
$79.2M
$11.9M
Q2 25
$34.6M
$-27.6M
Q1 25
$-13.4M
$58.1M
Q4 24
$73.2M
$-19.2M
Q3 24
$70.4M
$28.0M
Q2 24
$94.0M
$-35.6M
Q1 24
$-30.2M
$-52.8M
FCF Margin
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
4.0%
7.6%
Q3 25
5.3%
1.6%
Q2 25
2.3%
-4.0%
Q1 25
-0.9%
8.1%
Q4 24
5.3%
-2.5%
Q3 24
4.7%
3.6%
Q2 24
5.8%
-4.8%
Q1 24
-1.9%
-7.0%
Capex Intensity
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
4.8%
1.2%
Q3 25
4.3%
1.3%
Q2 25
3.7%
1.1%
Q1 25
4.9%
1.7%
Q4 24
5.6%
1.2%
Q3 24
4.9%
1.8%
Q2 24
3.0%
2.1%
Q1 24
3.0%
1.7%
Cash Conversion
AXL
AXL
DBI
DBI
Q4 25
3.65×
Q3 25
15.58×
1.98×
Q2 25
2.34×
Q1 25
7.87×
Q4 24
-0.75×
Q3 24
14.36×
3.01×
Q2 24
7.85×
-25.13×
Q1 24
0.87×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AXL
AXL

Driveline$748.4M54%
Other$345.7M25%
Metal Forming$289.8M21%

DBI
DBI

Womens$280.7M37%
Athletic Footwear$188.6M25%
Wholesale$89.8M12%
Canada Retail Segment$77.3M10%
Mens$76.1M10%
Kids$24.2M3%
Commission Income$10.8M1%
Directto Consumer$1.3M0%

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