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Side-by-side financial comparison of CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO) and FORWARD AIR CORP (FWRD). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

CNO Financial Group, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.1B vs $631.2M, roughly 1.8× FORWARD AIR CORP). CNO Financial Group, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 8.8% vs -4.5%, a 13.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, CNO Financial Group, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.2% vs -0.3%). Over the past eight quarters, FORWARD AIR CORP's revenue compounded faster (7.9% CAGR vs -0.6%).

CNO Financial Group, Inc., formerly Conseco, Inc., is an American financial services holding company based in Carmel, Indiana. Its insurance subsidiaries provide life insurance, annuity and supplemental health insurance products to more than four million customers in the United States. These products are distributed through independent agents, career agents and direct to customers through television advertising and direct mail.

Forward Air Corp is a leading North American asset-light logistics and transportation provider. It offers core services including expedited less-than-truckload freight delivery, final-mile logistics, intermodal transport, warehousing, and supply chain solutions, serving key sectors such as e-commerce, retail, manufacturing, and automotive across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

CNO vs FWRD — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CNO
CNO
1.8× larger
CNO
$1.1B
$631.2M
FWRD
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CNO
CNO
+4.4% gap
CNO
4.2%
-0.3%
FWRD
Higher net margin
CNO
CNO
13.3% more per $
CNO
8.8%
-4.5%
FWRD
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
FWRD
FWRD
Annualised
FWRD
7.9%
-0.6%
CNO

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Revenue
$1.1B
$631.2M
Net Profit
$100.7M
$-28.3M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
15.2%
-0.5%
Net Margin
8.8%
-4.5%
Revenue YoY
4.2%
-0.3%
Net Profit YoY
-39.4%
22.2%
EPS (diluted)
$1.02
$-0.90

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
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
$1.1B
$631.2M
Q3 25
$1.2B
$631.8M
Q2 25
$1.2B
$618.8M
Q1 25
$1.0B
$613.3M
Q4 24
$1.1B
$632.8M
Q3 24
$1.1B
$655.9M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$643.7M
Q1 24
$1.2B
$541.8M
Net Profit
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
$100.7M
$-28.3M
Q3 25
$23.1M
$-16.3M
Q2 25
$91.8M
$-12.6M
Q1 25
$13.7M
$-50.6M
Q4 24
$166.1M
$-36.4M
Q3 24
$9.3M
$-73.4M
Q2 24
$116.3M
$-645.4M
Q1 24
$112.3M
$-61.7M
Operating Margin
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
15.2%
-0.5%
Q3 25
13.7%
2.4%
Q2 25
9.8%
3.2%
Q1 25
10.4%
0.8%
Q4 24
15.8%
12.0%
Q3 24
13.6%
3.5%
Q2 24
13.9%
-170.2%
Q1 24
6.5%
-12.1%
Net Margin
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
8.8%
-4.5%
Q3 25
1.9%
-2.6%
Q2 25
8.0%
-2.0%
Q1 25
1.4%
-8.3%
Q4 24
15.1%
-5.8%
Q3 24
0.8%
-11.2%
Q2 24
10.9%
-100.3%
Q1 24
9.7%
-11.4%
EPS (diluted)
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
$1.02
$-0.90
Q3 25
$0.24
$-0.52
Q2 25
$0.91
$-0.41
Q1 25
$0.13
$-1.68
Q4 24
$1.58
$-1.69
Q3 24
$0.09
$-2.66
Q2 24
$1.06
$-23.47
Q1 24
$1.01
$-2.81

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$106.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.7B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.6B
$113.3M
Total Assets
$38.8B
$2.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
14.89×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
$106.0M
Q3 25
$140.4M
Q2 25
$95.1M
Q1 25
$116.3M
Q4 24
$104.9M
Q3 24
$136.6M
Q2 24
$84.9M
Q1 24
$152.0M
Total Debt
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
$1.7B
Q3 25
$1.7B
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
$1.7B
Stockholders' Equity
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
$2.6B
$113.3M
Q3 25
$2.6B
$139.8M
Q2 25
$2.5B
$151.8M
Q1 25
$2.5B
$154.6M
Q4 24
$2.5B
$201.7M
Q3 24
$2.7B
$226.1M
Q2 24
$2.4B
$283.8M
Q1 24
$2.4B
$926.1M
Total Assets
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
$38.8B
$2.7B
Q3 25
$38.3B
$2.8B
Q2 25
$37.3B
$2.8B
Q1 25
$37.4B
$2.8B
Q4 24
$37.9B
$2.8B
Q3 24
$37.6B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$36.3B
$3.1B
Q1 24
$34.9B
$4.0B
Debt / Equity
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
14.89×
Q3 25
12.05×
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
1.81×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$195.7M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.3%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.94×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
$195.7M
Q3 25
$197.8M
$52.7M
Q2 25
$145.5M
Q1 25
$136.7M
$27.6M
Q4 24
$191.0M
$-23.2M
Q3 24
$231.2M
$51.2M
Q2 24
$110.9M
$-45.2M
Q1 24
$94.6M
$-51.7M
Free Cash Flow
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
Q3 25
$48.6M
Q2 25
Q1 25
$15.7M
Q4 24
$-30.5M
Q3 24
$40.7M
Q2 24
$-59.6M
Q1 24
$-56.7M
FCF Margin
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
Q3 25
7.7%
Q2 25
Q1 25
2.6%
Q4 24
-4.8%
Q3 24
6.2%
Q2 24
-9.3%
Q1 24
-10.5%
Capex Intensity
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
1.3%
Q3 25
0.7%
Q2 25
0.8%
Q1 25
1.9%
Q4 24
1.1%
Q3 24
1.6%
Q2 24
2.2%
Q1 24
0.9%
Cash Conversion
CNO
CNO
FWRD
FWRD
Q4 25
1.94×
Q3 25
8.56×
Q2 25
1.58×
Q1 25
9.98×
Q4 24
1.15×
Q3 24
24.86×
Q2 24
0.95×
Q1 24
0.84×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CNO
CNO

Health Insurance Product Line$496.4M43%
Life Insurance Segment$268.8M24%
Other$207.2M18%
Life And Annuity Insurance Product Line$170.7M15%

FWRD
FWRD

Omni Logistics Segment$359.8M57%
Network$183.9M29%
Intermodal Segment$50.2M8%
Truckload$41.6M7%

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