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Side-by-side financial comparison of Ball Corporation (BALL) and 3M (MMM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

3M is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($6.0B vs $3.3B, roughly 1.8× Ball Corporation). 3M runs the higher net margin — 10.8% vs 6.0%, a 4.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Ball Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (16.2% vs 1.3%). 3M produced more free cash flow last quarter ($2.0B vs $1.0B). Over the past eight quarters, Ball Corporation's revenue compounded faster (7.9% CAGR vs -1.8%).

Ball Corporation is a leading global provider of innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care, and household product brands. It also operates an aerospace segment that delivers advanced technologies, systems, and services to government and commercial customers worldwide, prioritizing environmental responsibility and product reliability across all operations.

The 3M Company is an American multinational conglomerate operating in the fields of industry, worker safety, and consumer goods. Based in the Saint Paul suburb of Maplewood, the company produces over 60,000 products, including adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, personal protective equipment, window films, paint protection film, electrical, electronic connecting, insulating materials, car-care products, electronic circuits, and optical films. Among its best-known consume...

BALL vs MMM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MMM
MMM
1.8× larger
MMM
$6.0B
$3.3B
BALL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
BALL
BALL
+14.9% gap
BALL
16.2%
1.3%
MMM
Higher net margin
MMM
MMM
4.9% more per $
MMM
10.8%
6.0%
BALL
More free cash flow
MMM
MMM
$985.0M more FCF
MMM
$2.0B
$1.0B
BALL
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
BALL
BALL
Annualised
BALL
7.9%
-1.8%
MMM

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Revenue
$3.3B
$6.0B
Net Profit
$200.0M
$653.0M
Gross Margin
40.7%
Operating Margin
7.2%
23.2%
Net Margin
6.0%
10.8%
Revenue YoY
16.2%
1.3%
Net Profit YoY
766.7%
-41.5%
EPS (diluted)
$0.73
$1.23

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
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
$6.0B
Q4 25
$3.3B
$6.1B
Q3 25
$3.4B
$6.5B
Q2 25
$3.3B
$6.3B
Q1 25
$3.1B
$6.0B
Q4 24
$2.9B
$6.0B
Q3 24
$3.1B
$6.3B
Q2 24
$3.0B
$6.3B
Net Profit
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
$653.0M
Q4 25
$200.0M
$577.0M
Q3 25
$321.0M
$834.0M
Q2 25
$215.0M
$723.0M
Q1 25
$179.0M
$1.1B
Q4 24
$-30.0M
$728.0M
Q3 24
$199.0M
$1.4B
Q2 24
$159.0M
$1.1B
Gross Margin
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
40.7%
Q4 25
33.6%
Q3 25
41.8%
Q2 25
42.5%
Q1 25
41.6%
Q4 24
51.7%
Q3 24
17.7%
42.1%
Q2 24
16.5%
42.9%
Operating Margin
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
23.2%
Q4 25
7.2%
13.0%
Q3 25
11.6%
22.2%
Q2 25
8.0%
18.0%
Q1 25
7.4%
20.9%
Q4 24
0.2%
12.2%
Q3 24
7.4%
20.9%
Q2 24
6.8%
20.3%
Net Margin
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
10.8%
Q4 25
6.0%
9.4%
Q3 25
9.5%
12.8%
Q2 25
6.4%
11.4%
Q1 25
5.8%
18.7%
Q4 24
-1.0%
12.1%
Q3 24
6.5%
21.8%
Q2 24
5.4%
18.3%
EPS (diluted)
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
$1.23
Q4 25
$0.73
$1.07
Q3 25
$1.18
$1.55
Q2 25
$0.76
$1.34
Q1 25
$0.63
$2.04
Q4 24
$0.23
$1.33
Q3 24
$0.65
$2.48
Q2 24
$0.51
$2.07

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$1.2B
$3.7B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$7.0B
$10.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$5.4B
$3.3B
Total Assets
$19.5B
$35.4B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.29×
3.29×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
$3.7B
Q4 25
$1.2B
Q3 25
$568.0M
Q2 25
$296.0M
Q1 25
$449.0M
Q4 24
$885.0M
Q3 24
$1.4B
Q2 24
$1.3B
Total Debt
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
$10.9B
Q4 25
$7.0B
$12.6B
Q3 25
$6.9B
$12.6B
Q2 25
$6.5B
$13.1B
Q1 25
$6.1B
$13.5B
Q4 24
$5.3B
$13.0B
Q3 24
$5.4B
$13.2B
Q2 24
$5.5B
$13.1B
Stockholders' Equity
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
$3.3B
Q4 25
$5.4B
$4.7B
Q3 25
$5.4B
$4.6B
Q2 25
$5.2B
$4.3B
Q1 25
$5.5B
$4.5B
Q4 24
$5.9B
$3.8B
Q3 24
$6.7B
$4.6B
Q2 24
$6.9B
$3.9B
Total Assets
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
$35.4B
Q4 25
$19.5B
$37.7B
Q3 25
$18.7B
$37.6B
Q2 25
$18.6B
$38.0B
Q1 25
$18.0B
$40.0B
Q4 24
$17.6B
$39.9B
Q3 24
$18.8B
$40.9B
Q2 24
$19.0B
$43.4B
Debt / Equity
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
3.29×
Q4 25
1.29×
2.68×
Q3 25
1.26×
2.72×
Q2 25
1.24×
3.06×
Q1 25
1.12×
3.02×
Q4 24
0.91×
3.40×
Q3 24
0.80×
2.84×
Q2 24
0.80×
3.34×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.2B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.0B
$2.0B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
31.1%
33.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
5.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
6.05×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$788.0M
$3.7B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.2B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$384.0M
$1.8B
Q2 25
$332.0M
$-954.0M
Q1 25
$-665.0M
$-79.0M
Q4 24
$500.0M
$1.8B
Q3 24
$610.0M
$-1.8B
Q2 24
$252.0M
$1.0B
Free Cash Flow
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
$2.0B
Q4 25
$1.0B
$1.3B
Q3 25
$257.0M
$1.5B
Q2 25
$236.0M
$-1.2B
Q1 25
$-746.0M
$-315.0M
Q4 24
$393.0M
$1.5B
Q3 24
$493.0M
$-2.0B
Q2 24
$146.0M
$752.0M
FCF Margin
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
33.6%
Q4 25
31.1%
21.8%
Q3 25
7.6%
23.6%
Q2 25
7.1%
-18.3%
Q1 25
-24.1%
-5.3%
Q4 24
13.6%
25.4%
Q3 24
16.0%
-32.3%
Q2 24
4.9%
12.0%
Capex Intensity
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
Q4 25
5.1%
4.0%
Q3 25
3.8%
3.3%
Q2 25
2.9%
3.3%
Q1 25
2.6%
4.0%
Q4 24
3.7%
4.8%
Q3 24
3.8%
3.9%
Q2 24
3.6%
4.3%
Cash Conversion
BALL
BALL
MMM
MMM
Q1 26
Q4 25
6.05×
2.74×
Q3 25
1.20×
2.11×
Q2 25
1.54×
-1.32×
Q1 25
-3.72×
-0.07×
Q4 24
2.50×
Q3 24
3.07×
-1.30×
Q2 24
1.58×
0.89×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

BALL
BALL

Transferred Over Time$2.7B82%
Transferred At Point In Time$602.0M18%

MMM
MMM

Safety and Industrial business segment$2.9B49%
Transportation and Electronics business segment$1.8B31%
Consumer business segment$1.1B19%
Corporate$121.0M2%

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