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Side-by-side financial comparison of CABOT CORP (CBT) and MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC (MDU). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

CABOT CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($849.0M vs $522.6M, roughly 1.6× MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC). MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC runs the higher net margin — 14.6% vs 8.6%, a 6.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-1.6% vs -11.1%). CABOT CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($57.0M vs $-336.0M). Over the past eight quarters, MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC's revenue compounded faster (-5.7% CAGR vs -8.7%).

Cabot Corporation is an American specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company operates in over 20 countries with 36 manufacturing plants, eight research and development facilities, and 28 sales offices.

MDU Resources Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based corporation supplying products and services to regulated energy delivery and utilities related construction materials and services businesses. It is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, and operates in 48 states.

CBT vs MDU — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CBT
CBT
1.6× larger
CBT
$849.0M
$522.6M
MDU
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MDU
MDU
+9.5% gap
MDU
-1.6%
-11.1%
CBT
Higher net margin
MDU
MDU
6.0% more per $
MDU
14.6%
8.6%
CBT
More free cash flow
CBT
CBT
$393.0M more FCF
CBT
$57.0M
$-336.0M
MDU
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MDU
MDU
Annualised
MDU
-5.7%
-8.7%
CBT

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Revenue
$849.0M
$522.6M
Net Profit
$73.0M
$76.3M
Gross Margin
24.9%
Operating Margin
15.2%
20.5%
Net Margin
8.6%
14.6%
Revenue YoY
-11.1%
-1.6%
Net Profit YoY
-21.5%
38.4%
EPS (diluted)
$1.37
$0.37

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
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$849.0M
$522.6M
Q3 25
$899.0M
$313.6M
Q2 25
$923.0M
$348.7M
Q1 25
$936.0M
$678.0M
Q4 24
$955.0M
$531.0M
Q3 24
$1.0B
$290.7M
Q2 24
$1.0B
$343.1M
Q1 24
$1.0B
$588.2M
Net Profit
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$73.0M
$76.3M
Q3 25
$43.0M
$18.3M
Q2 25
$101.0M
$13.8M
Q1 25
$94.0M
$82.0M
Q4 24
$93.0M
$55.2M
Q3 24
$137.0M
$64.6M
Q2 24
$109.0M
$60.4M
Q1 24
$84.0M
$100.9M
Gross Margin
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
24.9%
Q3 25
24.5%
Q2 25
26.4%
Q1 25
25.7%
Q4 24
24.6%
Q3 24
24.0%
Q2 24
25.2%
Q1 24
24.1%
Operating Margin
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
15.2%
20.5%
Q3 25
15.2%
12.7%
Q2 25
18.1%
8.7%
Q1 25
17.3%
16.6%
Q4 24
16.2%
17.8%
Q3 24
15.0%
12.0%
Q2 24
16.9%
11.5%
Q1 24
15.3%
16.4%
Net Margin
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
8.6%
14.6%
Q3 25
4.8%
5.8%
Q2 25
10.9%
4.0%
Q1 25
10.0%
12.1%
Q4 24
9.7%
10.4%
Q3 24
13.7%
22.2%
Q2 24
10.7%
17.6%
Q1 24
8.2%
17.2%
EPS (diluted)
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$1.37
$0.37
Q3 25
$0.80
$0.09
Q2 25
$1.86
$0.07
Q1 25
$1.69
$0.40
Q4 24
$1.67
$0.26
Q3 24
$2.41
$0.32
Q2 24
$1.94
$0.30
Q1 24
$1.49
$0.49

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$230.0M
$28.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.7B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.6B
$2.8B
Total Assets
$3.8B
$7.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.97×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$230.0M
$28.2M
Q3 25
$258.0M
$75.9M
Q2 25
$239.0M
$58.8M
Q1 25
$213.0M
$59.5M
Q4 24
$183.0M
$66.9M
Q3 24
$223.0M
$88.3M
Q2 24
$197.0M
$78.8M
Q1 24
$206.0M
$72.7M
Total Debt
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$2.7B
Q3 25
$1.1B
$2.4B
Q2 25
$2.2B
Q1 25
$2.2B
Q4 24
$2.3B
Q3 24
$1.1B
$2.3B
Q2 24
$2.3B
Q1 24
$2.3B
Stockholders' Equity
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$1.6B
$2.8B
Q3 25
$1.6B
$2.7B
Q2 25
$1.5B
$2.7B
Q1 25
$1.4B
$2.7B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$2.7B
Q3 24
$1.4B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$1.3B
$3.0B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$3.0B
Total Assets
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$3.8B
$7.6B
Q3 25
$3.8B
$7.2B
Q2 25
$3.8B
$6.9B
Q1 25
$3.8B
$7.0B
Q4 24
$3.6B
$7.0B
Q3 24
$3.7B
$8.2B
Q2 24
$3.6B
$8.0B
Q1 24
$3.6B
$7.8B
Debt / Equity
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
0.97×
Q3 25
0.70×
0.86×
Q2 25
0.80×
Q1 25
0.80×
Q4 24
0.85×
Q3 24
0.75×
0.76×
Q2 24
0.75×
Q1 24
0.76×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$126.0M
$80.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$57.0M
$-336.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
6.7%
-64.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
8.1%
79.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.73×
1.06×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$401.0M
$-297.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$126.0M
$80.6M
Q3 25
$219.0M
$57.9M
Q2 25
$249.0M
$117.4M
Q1 25
$73.0M
$217.5M
Q4 24
$124.0M
$60.5M
Q3 24
$204.0M
$140.2M
Q2 24
$207.0M
$136.5M
Q1 24
$176.0M
$165.1M
Free Cash Flow
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$57.0M
$-336.0M
Q3 25
$155.0M
$-121.9M
Q2 25
$188.0M
$36.5M
Q1 25
$1.0M
$124.4M
Q4 24
$47.0M
$-95.8M
Q3 24
$112.0M
$673.0K
Q2 24
$155.0M
$26.5M
Q1 24
$133.0M
$48.1M
FCF Margin
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
6.7%
-64.3%
Q3 25
17.2%
-38.9%
Q2 25
20.4%
10.5%
Q1 25
0.1%
18.4%
Q4 24
4.9%
-18.0%
Q3 24
11.2%
0.2%
Q2 24
15.3%
7.7%
Q1 24
13.1%
8.2%
Capex Intensity
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
8.1%
79.7%
Q3 25
7.1%
57.3%
Q2 25
6.6%
23.2%
Q1 25
7.7%
13.7%
Q4 24
8.1%
29.4%
Q3 24
9.2%
48.0%
Q2 24
5.1%
32.0%
Q1 24
4.2%
19.9%
Cash Conversion
CBT
CBT
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
1.73×
1.06×
Q3 25
5.09×
3.16×
Q2 25
2.47×
8.52×
Q1 25
0.78×
2.65×
Q4 24
1.33×
1.10×
Q3 24
1.49×
2.17×
Q2 24
1.90×
2.26×
Q1 24
2.10×
1.64×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CBT
CBT

Reinforcement Materials$520.0M61%
Performance Chemicals$300.0M35%
Shipping And Handling$25.0M3%
Other Products And Services$4.0M0%

MDU
MDU

Natural Gas Distribution$382.8M73%
Commercial Utility Sales$42.7M8%
Residential Utility Sales$33.7M6%
Pipelineand Midstream$31.1M6%
Natural Gas Transportation$17.2M3%
Industrial Utility Sales$10.1M2%
Natural Gas Storage$6.4M1%
Other Utility Sales$1.9M0%

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