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Side-by-side financial comparison of American Express (AXP) and IBM (IBM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

IBM is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($15.9B vs $18.9M, roughly 841.0× American Express). American Express runs the higher net margin — 15.7% vs 7.6%, a 8.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, American Express posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (11.4% vs 9.7%). Over the past eight quarters, IBM's revenue compounded faster (0.4% CAGR vs -95.6%).

American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides charge and credit payment card products, and travel-related services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Global Consumer Services Group, Global Commercial Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. Its products and services include payment and financing products; network services; accounts payable expense management products and services; and travel and lifestyle services. The company's products an...

International Business Machines Corporation, doing business as IBM, is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is a publicly traded company and one of the 30 companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. IBM is the largest industrial research organization in the world, with 19 research facilities across a dozen countries; for 29 consecutive years, from 1993 to 2021, it held the record for most annual U.S.

AXP vs IBM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
IBM
IBM
841.0× larger
IBM
$15.9B
$18.9M
AXP
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
AXP
AXP
+1.8% gap
AXP
11.4%
9.7%
IBM
Higher net margin
AXP
AXP
8.1% more per $
AXP
15.7%
7.6%
IBM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
IBM
IBM
Annualised
IBM
0.4%
-95.6%
AXP

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Revenue
$18.9M
$15.9B
Net Profit
$3.0M
$1.2B
Gross Margin
56.3%
Operating Margin
Net Margin
15.7%
7.6%
Revenue YoY
11.4%
9.7%
Net Profit YoY
15.0%
15.3%
EPS (diluted)
$1.28

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
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$18.9M
$15.9B
Q4 25
$10.9B
$19.7B
Q3 25
$10.4B
$16.3B
Q2 25
$10.3B
$17.0B
Q1 25
$9.6B
$14.5B
Q4 24
$10.0B
$17.6B
Q3 24
$9.7B
$15.0B
Q2 24
$9.8B
$15.8B
Net Profit
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$3.0M
$1.2B
Q4 25
$2.5B
$5.6B
Q3 25
$2.9B
$1.7B
Q2 25
$2.9B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$2.6B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$2.2B
$2.9B
Q3 24
$2.5B
$-330.0M
Q2 24
$3.0B
$1.8B
Gross Margin
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
56.3%
Q4 25
60.6%
Q3 25
57.3%
Q2 25
58.8%
Q1 25
55.2%
Q4 24
59.5%
Q3 24
56.3%
Q2 24
56.8%
Operating Margin
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
Q4 25
28.2%
21.0%
Q3 25
36.7%
14.9%
Q2 25
34.4%
15.3%
Q1 25
34.6%
8.0%
Q4 24
27.7%
18.8%
Q3 24
33.0%
-5.4%
Q2 24
38.6%
14.1%
Net Margin
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
15.7%
7.6%
Q4 25
22.5%
28.4%
Q3 25
27.9%
10.7%
Q2 25
28.0%
12.9%
Q1 25
26.8%
7.3%
Q4 24
21.8%
16.6%
Q3 24
25.8%
-2.2%
Q2 24
30.7%
11.6%
EPS (diluted)
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$1.28
Q4 25
$3.52
$5.90
Q3 25
$4.14
$1.84
Q2 25
$4.08
$2.31
Q1 25
$3.64
$1.12
Q4 24
$3.04
$3.11
Q3 24
$3.49
$-0.36
Q2 24
$4.15
$1.96

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$10.8B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$60.4M
$66.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$34.0M
$33.1B
Total Assets
$308.9M
$156.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.78×
2.01×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$10.8B
Q4 25
$742.0M
$13.6B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$11.6B
Q2 25
$197.0M
$11.9B
Q1 25
$261.0M
$11.0B
Q4 24
$221.0M
$13.9B
Q3 24
$120.0M
$13.2B
Q2 24
$188.0M
$12.2B
Total Debt
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$60.4M
$66.4B
Q4 25
$56.4B
$54.8B
Q3 25
$57.8B
$55.2B
Q2 25
$58.2B
$55.2B
Q1 25
$51.2B
$56.4B
Q4 24
$49.7B
$49.9B
Q3 24
$53.5B
$53.0B
Q2 24
$51.5B
$52.9B
Stockholders' Equity
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$34.0M
$33.1B
Q4 25
$33.5B
$32.6B
Q3 25
$32.4B
$27.9B
Q2 25
$32.3B
$27.5B
Q1 25
$31.2B
$26.9B
Q4 24
$30.3B
$27.3B
Q3 24
$29.7B
$24.4B
Q2 24
$29.5B
$24.0B
Total Assets
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$308.9M
$156.2B
Q4 25
$300.1B
$151.9B
Q3 25
$297.6B
$146.3B
Q2 25
$295.6B
$148.6B
Q1 25
$282.2B
$145.7B
Q4 24
$271.5B
$137.2B
Q3 24
$271.0B
$134.3B
Q2 24
$272.2B
$133.8B
Debt / Equity
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
1.78×
2.01×
Q4 25
1.68×
1.68×
Q3 25
1.78×
1.98×
Q2 25
1.80×
2.01×
Q1 25
1.64×
2.10×
Q4 24
1.64×
1.83×
Q3 24
1.80×
2.17×
Q2 24
1.74×
2.20×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$5.2B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$2.2B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
14.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.4%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
4.25×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$10.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$5.2B
Q4 25
$3.1B
$4.0B
Q3 25
$6.2B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$4.4B
$1.7B
Q1 25
$4.8B
$4.4B
Q4 24
$5.8B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$-1.8B
$2.9B
Q2 24
$4.5B
$2.1B
Free Cash Flow
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$2.2B
Q4 25
$2.3B
$3.7B
Q3 25
$5.6B
$2.8B
Q2 25
$3.7B
$1.5B
Q1 25
$4.3B
$4.1B
Q4 24
$5.3B
$4.0B
Q3 24
$-2.3B
$2.6B
Q2 24
$4.0B
$1.8B
FCF Margin
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
14.0%
Q4 25
21.4%
18.6%
Q3 25
53.6%
17.3%
Q2 25
36.3%
8.8%
Q1 25
45.0%
28.4%
Q4 24
53.1%
22.9%
Q3 24
-23.3%
17.3%
Q2 24
40.4%
11.7%
Capex Intensity
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
2.4%
Q4 25
6.6%
1.9%
Q3 25
6.3%
1.6%
Q2 25
6.0%
1.2%
Q1 25
4.5%
1.7%
Q4 24
5.0%
1.7%
Q3 24
4.7%
1.9%
Q2 24
5.8%
1.4%
Cash Conversion
AXP
AXP
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
4.25×
Q4 25
1.25×
0.72×
Q3 25
2.15×
1.77×
Q2 25
1.51×
0.78×
Q1 25
1.84×
4.14×
Q4 24
2.66×
1.49×
Q3 24
-0.72×
Q2 24
1.50×
1.13×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AXP
AXP

Discount revenue$9.5M50%
Other$8.9M47%
Deposits with banks and other$512.0K3%

IBM
IBM

Software$7.1B45%
Consulting$5.3B33%
Infrastructure$3.3B21%
Financing$200.0M1%

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