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Side-by-side financial comparison of Blue Bird Corp (BLBD) and ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC (ESE). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Blue Bird Corp is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($333.1M vs $289.7M, roughly 1.1× ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC). ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC runs the higher net margin — 9.9% vs 9.2%, a 0.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (17.3% vs 6.1%). ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($63.0M vs $31.1M). Over the past eight quarters, ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC's revenue compounded faster (7.8% CAGR vs -1.9%).
The Blue Bird Corporation is an American bus manufacturer. Headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia, the company was best known for its production of school buses. The company has also manufactured a wide variety of other bus types, including transit buses, motorhomes, and specialty vehicles such as mobile libraries and mobile police command centers.
Esco is a Singaporean brand that develops, manufactures, and sells products and services for laboratories.
BLBD vs ESE — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $333.1M | $289.7M |
| Net Profit | $30.8M | $28.7M |
| Gross Margin | 21.4% | 41.4% |
| Operating Margin | 11.3% | 13.2% |
| Net Margin | 9.2% | 9.9% |
| Revenue YoY | 6.1% | 17.3% |
| Net Profit YoY | 7.1% | 22.2% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.94 | $1.11 |
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.
| Q4 25 | $333.1M | $289.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $409.4M | $286.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $398.0M | $296.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $358.9M | $265.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $313.9M | $247.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $350.2M | $298.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $333.4M | $260.8M | ||
| Q1 24 | $345.9M | $249.1M |
| Q4 25 | $30.8M | $28.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $36.5M | $218.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $36.5M | $26.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $26.0M | $31.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $28.7M | $23.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $24.7M | $34.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $28.7M | $29.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $26.0M | $23.2M |
| Q4 25 | 21.4% | 41.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | 21.1% | 45.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | 21.6% | 41.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 19.7% | 41.1% | ||
| Q4 24 | 19.2% | 39.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 17.0% | 40.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 20.8% | 39.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | 18.4% | 38.8% |
| Q4 25 | 11.3% | 13.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 12.3% | 17.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 12.6% | 11.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 9.4% | 15.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 10.5% | 11.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 7.3% | 14.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 11.9% | 14.3% | ||
| Q1 24 | 10.4% | 11.7% |
| Q4 25 | 9.2% | 9.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 8.9% | 76.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 9.2% | 8.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 7.3% | 11.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 9.2% | 9.5% | ||
| Q3 24 | 7.0% | 11.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 8.6% | 11.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | 7.5% | 9.3% |
| Q4 25 | $0.94 | $1.11 | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.11 | $8.43 | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.12 | $1.01 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.79 | $1.20 | ||
| Q4 24 | $0.86 | $0.91 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.71 | $1.32 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.85 | $1.13 | ||
| Q1 24 | $0.79 | $0.90 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $241.7M | $103.8M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | — | $145.5M |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $271.4M | $1.6B |
| Total Assets | $642.3M | $2.4B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | 0.09× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $241.7M | $103.8M | ||
| Q3 25 | $229.3M | $101.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $173.1M | $78.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $130.7M | $57.4M | ||
| Q4 24 | $136.1M | $71.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $127.7M | $66.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $88.4M | $63.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $93.1M | $59.4M |
| Q4 25 | — | $145.5M | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $186.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $525.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $88.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $112.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $122.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $173.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | — | $191.0M |
| Q4 25 | $271.4M | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $255.4M | $1.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $221.8M | $1.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $190.4M | $1.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $179.7M | $1.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $159.6M | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $137.3M | $1.2B | ||
| Q1 24 | $105.8M | $1.2B |
| Q4 25 | $642.3M | $2.4B | ||
| Q3 25 | $625.3M | $2.4B | ||
| Q2 25 | $575.5M | $2.5B | ||
| Q1 25 | $543.7M | $1.8B | ||
| Q4 24 | $535.2M | $1.8B | ||
| Q3 24 | $524.9M | $1.8B | ||
| Q2 24 | $468.1M | $1.8B | ||
| Q1 24 | $456.5M | $1.8B |
| Q4 25 | — | 0.09× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 0.12× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 0.40× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 0.07× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 0.09× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 0.10× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 0.14× | ||
| Q1 24 | — | 0.16× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $36.6M | $68.9M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $31.1M | $63.0M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 9.3% | 21.7% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 1.6% | 2.0% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 1.19× | 2.40× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $162.6M | $239.6M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $36.6M | $68.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $65.1M | $109.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $56.9M | $73.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $27.8M | $24.1M | ||
| Q4 24 | $26.4M | $34.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | $55.4M | $72.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $989.0K | $36.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $54.6M | $10.5M |
| Q4 25 | $31.1M | $63.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $60.5M | $97.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $52.3M | $64.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | $18.7M | $14.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $21.8M | $29.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $50.2M | $60.9M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-3.5M | $27.6M | ||
| Q1 24 | $51.8M | $2.0M |
| Q4 25 | 9.3% | 21.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | 14.8% | 34.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 13.1% | 21.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 5.2% | 5.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 7.0% | 11.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 14.3% | 20.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | -1.1% | 10.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | 15.0% | 0.8% |
| Q4 25 | 1.6% | 2.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.1% | 4.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.2% | 3.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.5% | 3.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.5% | 2.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.5% | 3.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.3% | 3.3% | ||
| Q1 24 | 0.8% | 3.4% |
| Q4 25 | 1.19× | 2.40× | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.78× | 0.50× | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.56× | 2.83× | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.07× | 0.78× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.92× | 1.46× | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.24× | 2.10× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.03× | 1.24× | ||
| Q1 24 | 2.10× | 0.45× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
BLBD
| Alternative Fuel Buses | $151.4M | 45% |
| Diesel Buses | $144.9M | 43% |
| Parts | $24.8M | 7% |
| Other | $12.1M | 4% |
ESE
| US Government | $98.0M | 34% |
| Utility Solutions Group | $87.5M | 30% |
| RF Shielding And Test | $58.3M | 20% |
| Commercial | $45.8M | 16% |
| Related Party | $1.3M | 0% |
