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Side-by-side financial comparison of COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL INC (CMP) and Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($396.1M vs $305.9M, roughly 1.3× Strategic Education, Inc.). Strategic Education, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 10.7% vs 4.7%, a 6.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (28.9% vs 0.8%). Strategic Education, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($77.3M vs $-59.8M). Over the past eight quarters, COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL INC's revenue compounded faster (4.3% CAGR vs -1.0%).
Compass Minerals International, Inc is an American public company that, through its subsidiaries, is a leading producer of minerals, including salt, magnesium chloride and sulfate of potash. Based in Overland Park, Kansas; the company provides bulk treated and untreated highway deicing salt to customers in North America and the United Kingdom and plant nutrition products to growers worldwide. Compass Minerals also produces consumer deicing and water conditioning products, consumer and commerc...
Strategic Education, Inc. (SEI) is an education services holding company and is formerly known as Strayer Education, Inc. The company owns for-profit, online Capella University and Strayer University, as well as non-degree programs schools such as DevMountain, Hackbright Academy, and Sophia Learning.
CMP vs STRA — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $396.1M | $305.9M |
| Net Profit | $18.6M | $32.8M |
| Gross Margin | 16.0% | — |
| Operating Margin | 9.2% | 13.4% |
| Net Margin | 4.7% | 10.7% |
| Revenue YoY | 28.9% | 0.8% |
| Net Profit YoY | 178.8% | 10.3% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.43 | $1.48 |
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.
| Q1 26 | — | $305.9M | ||
| Q4 25 | $396.1M | $323.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $227.5M | $319.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $214.6M | $321.5M | ||
| Q1 25 | $494.6M | $303.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $307.2M | $311.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $208.8M | $306.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $202.9M | $312.3M |
| Q1 26 | — | $32.8M | ||
| Q4 25 | $18.6M | $37.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-7.2M | $26.6M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-17.0M | $32.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-32.0M | $29.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-23.6M | $25.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-48.3M | $27.7M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-43.6M | $29.9M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 16.0% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 16.9% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 19.2% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 15.5% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 11.2% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 9.3% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 16.1% | — |
| Q1 26 | — | 13.4% | ||
| Q4 25 | 9.2% | 16.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | 5.3% | 11.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | 7.4% | 14.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | -0.6% | 13.1% | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.2% | 11.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | -14.3% | 11.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.9% | 13.4% |
| Q1 26 | — | 10.7% | ||
| Q4 25 | 4.7% | 11.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | -3.2% | 8.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | -7.9% | 10.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | -6.5% | 9.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | -7.7% | 8.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | -23.1% | 9.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | -21.5% | 9.6% |
| Q1 26 | — | $1.48 | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.43 | $1.65 | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $1.15 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-0.41 | $1.37 | ||
| Q1 25 | $-0.77 | $1.24 | ||
| Q4 24 | $-0.57 | $1.05 | ||
| Q3 24 | $-1.17 | $1.15 | ||
| Q2 24 | $-1.05 | $1.24 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $46.7M | $150.3M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $890.0M | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $260.5M | $1.6B |
| Total Assets | $1.5B | $2.1B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 3.42× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $150.3M | ||
| Q4 25 | $46.7M | $148.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | $59.7M | $172.6M | ||
| Q2 25 | $79.4M | $164.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | $49.5M | $182.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $45.8M | $184.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $20.2M | $222.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $12.8M | $256.2M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $890.0M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $839.8M | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $833.4M | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $807.6M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $974.4M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $921.2M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $875.1M | — |
| Q1 26 | — | $1.6B | ||
| Q4 25 | $260.5M | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $234.1M | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 25 | $249.8M | $1.7B | ||
| Q1 25 | $236.5M | $1.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $263.0M | $1.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $316.6M | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $352.1M | $1.7B |
| Q1 26 | — | $2.1B | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.5B | $2.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.5B | $2.1B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.5B | $2.1B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.5B | $2.1B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.7B | $2.0B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.6B | $2.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.6B | $2.2B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 3.42× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.59× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 3.34× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 3.41× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.70× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.91× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.49× | — |
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 | $-37.0M | $87.4M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-59.8M | $77.3M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -15.1% | 25.3% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 5.8% | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | -1.99× | 2.66× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $94.1M | $173.9M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $87.4M | ||
| Q4 25 | $-37.0M | $39.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-6.9M | $60.1M | ||
| Q2 25 | $21.8M | $31.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $186.9M | $67.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-4.1M | $15.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-12.7M | $51.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-6.8M | $24.3M |
| Q1 26 | — | $77.3M | ||
| Q4 25 | $-59.8M | $27.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-22.8M | $49.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.8M | $20.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $172.9M | $57.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-25.9M | $4.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-33.6M | $42.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-21.5M | $13.6M |
| Q1 26 | — | 25.3% | ||
| Q4 25 | -15.1% | 8.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | -10.0% | 15.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.8% | 6.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 35.0% | 18.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | -8.4% | 1.5% | ||
| Q3 24 | -16.1% | 13.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | -10.6% | 4.3% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 5.8% | 3.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | 7.0% | 3.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 8.4% | 3.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.8% | 3.4% | ||
| Q4 24 | 7.1% | 3.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | 10.0% | 3.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 7.2% | 3.4% |
| Q1 26 | — | 2.66× | ||
| Q4 25 | -1.99× | 1.03× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 2.26× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 0.97× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 2.27× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 0.63× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 1.86× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 0.81× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
CMP
| Highway Deicing Salt | $210.8M | 53% |
| Consumer Industrial Salt | $120.7M | 30% |
| Plant Nutrition | $60.8M | 15% |
| Transferred Over Time | $2.8M | 1% |
| Other | $1.0M | 0% |
STRA
| U.S. Higher Education | $212.6M | 69% |
| Australia/New Zealand | $51.8M | 17% |
| Education Technology Services | $41.5M | 14% |
