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Side-by-side financial comparison of Crown Castle (CCI) and CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS INC (CWST). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Crown Castle is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.0B vs $557.2M, roughly 1.8× CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS INC). CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS INC runs the higher net margin — -1.0% vs -45.9%, a 44.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.6% vs -4.8%). CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($30.7M vs $-43.0M). Over the past eight quarters, CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS INC's revenue compounded faster (21.5% CAGR vs -4.5%).

Crown Castle Inc. is a real estate investment trust and provider of shared communications infrastructure in the United States headquartered in Houston, Texas. Operating with 100 offices worldwide, its network includes over 40,000 cell towers and approximately 85,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber systems.

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. is a waste management company based in Rutland, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1975 with a single truck, Casella is a regional, vertically integrated solid waste services company. Casella provides resource management expertise and services to residential, commercial, municipal and industrial customers, primarily in the areas of solid waste collection and disposal, transfer, recycling and organics services. The company provides integrated solid waste services in...

CCI vs CWST — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CCI
CCI
1.8× larger
CCI
$1.0B
$557.2M
CWST
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CWST
CWST
+14.5% gap
CWST
9.6%
-4.8%
CCI
Higher net margin
CWST
CWST
44.9% more per $
CWST
-1.0%
-45.9%
CCI
More free cash flow
CWST
CWST
$73.7M more FCF
CWST
$30.7M
$-43.0M
CCI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CWST
CWST
Annualised
CWST
21.5%
-4.5%
CCI

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Revenue
$1.0B
$557.2M
Net Profit
$-464.0M
$-5.5M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
46.0%
0.9%
Net Margin
-45.9%
-1.0%
Revenue YoY
-4.8%
9.6%
Net Profit YoY
-15.2%
EPS (diluted)
$1.48
$-0.09

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
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
$1.0B
$557.2M
Q4 25
$1.1B
$469.1M
Q3 25
$1.1B
$485.4M
Q2 25
$1.1B
$465.3M
Q1 25
$1.1B
$417.1M
Q4 24
$1.1B
$427.5M
Q3 24
$1.1B
$411.6M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$377.2M
Net Profit
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
$-464.0M
$-5.5M
Q4 25
$294.0M
$-2.5M
Q3 25
$323.0M
$10.0M
Q2 25
$291.0M
$5.2M
Q1 25
$-464.0M
$-4.8M
Q4 24
$4.9M
Q3 24
$303.0M
$5.8M
Q2 24
$251.0M
$7.0M
Gross Margin
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
Q4 25
97.4%
33.3%
Q3 25
97.2%
35.0%
Q2 25
97.5%
33.8%
Q1 25
97.4%
32.8%
Q4 24
97.7%
33.2%
Q3 24
97.6%
35.1%
Q2 24
97.7%
35.4%
Operating Margin
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
46.0%
0.9%
Q4 25
48.8%
2.5%
Q3 25
49.0%
6.1%
Q2 25
47.7%
4.1%
Q1 25
49.1%
0.8%
Q4 24
51.0%
4.3%
Q3 24
47.5%
5.9%
Q2 24
44.7%
6.1%
Net Margin
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
-45.9%
-1.0%
Q4 25
27.5%
-0.5%
Q3 25
30.1%
2.1%
Q2 25
27.5%
1.1%
Q1 25
-43.7%
-1.2%
Q4 24
1.1%
Q3 24
27.1%
1.4%
Q2 24
22.7%
1.9%
EPS (diluted)
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
$1.48
$-0.09
Q4 25
$0.67
$-0.04
Q3 25
$0.74
$0.16
Q2 25
$0.67
$0.08
Q1 25
$-1.07
$-0.08
Q4 24
$0.08
Q3 24
$0.70
$0.10
Q2 24
$0.58
$0.12

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$55.0M
$126.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.6B
Total Assets
$31.4B
$3.3B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
$55.0M
$126.9M
Q4 25
$99.0M
$123.8M
Q3 25
$57.0M
$192.7M
Q2 25
$94.0M
$217.8M
Q1 25
$60.0M
$267.7M
Q4 24
$100.0M
$358.3M
Q3 24
$194.0M
$519.0M
Q2 24
$155.0M
$208.5M
Total Debt
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
Q4 25
$21.6B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$21.6B
$1.1B
Q2 25
$22.0B
$1.1B
Q1 25
$22.9B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$23.5B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$23.5B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$22.9B
$976.6M
Stockholders' Equity
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
$1.6B
Q4 25
$-1.6B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$-1.5B
$1.6B
Q2 25
$-1.4B
$1.6B
Q1 25
$-1.3B
$1.5B
Q4 24
$-133.0M
$1.6B
Q3 24
$5.3B
$1.5B
Q2 24
$5.7B
$1.0B
Total Assets
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
$31.4B
$3.3B
Q4 25
$31.5B
$3.3B
Q3 25
$31.5B
$3.3B
Q2 25
$31.6B
$3.3B
Q1 25
$31.8B
$3.2B
Q4 24
$32.7B
$3.2B
Q3 24
$38.0B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$38.2B
$2.5B
Debt / Equity
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.72×
Q3 25
0.72×
Q2 25
0.72×
Q1 25
0.72×
Q4 24
0.70×
Q3 24
4.43×
0.68×
Q2 24
4.04×
0.94×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$62.3M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-43.0M
$30.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-4.3%
5.5%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.0%
9.0%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$4.3B
$120.7M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
$62.3M
Q4 25
$3.1B
$96.6M
Q3 25
$714.0M
$93.6M
Q2 25
$832.0M
$89.5M
Q1 25
$641.0M
$50.1M
Q4 24
$2.9B
$109.8M
Q3 24
$699.0M
$91.8M
Q2 24
$768.0M
$72.1M
Free Cash Flow
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
$-43.0M
$30.7M
Q4 25
$2.9B
$39.3M
Q3 25
$671.0M
$27.6M
Q2 25
$792.0M
$23.1M
Q1 25
$601.0M
$-5.4M
Q4 24
$2.8B
$32.9M
Q3 24
$661.0M
$40.4M
Q2 24
$729.0M
$27.5M
FCF Margin
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
-4.3%
5.5%
Q4 25
268.4%
8.4%
Q3 25
62.6%
5.7%
Q2 25
74.7%
5.0%
Q1 25
56.6%
-1.3%
Q4 24
247.3%
7.7%
Q3 24
59.0%
9.8%
Q2 24
65.9%
7.3%
Capex Intensity
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
1.0%
9.0%
Q4 25
17.0%
12.2%
Q3 25
4.0%
13.6%
Q2 25
3.8%
14.3%
Q1 25
3.8%
13.3%
Q4 24
15.7%
18.0%
Q3 24
3.4%
12.5%
Q2 24
3.5%
11.8%
Cash Conversion
CCI
CCI
CWST
CWST
Q1 26
Q4 25
10.40×
Q3 25
2.21×
9.37×
Q2 25
2.86×
17.19×
Q1 25
Q4 24
22.51×
Q3 24
2.31×
15.91×
Q2 24
3.06×
10.29×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CCI
CCI

Site rental$961.0M95%
Services and other$49.0M5%

CWST
CWST

Collection$334.8M60%
Transfer station$65.9M12%
Processing (ii)$49.0M9%
Landfill$48.0M9%
National Accounts (ii)$45.6M8%
Transportation$8.2M1%
Landfill gas-to-energy$2.9M1%

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