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Side-by-side financial comparison of Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. (DFIN) and LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP (LINC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($172.5M vs $142.9M, roughly 1.2× LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP). LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP runs the higher net margin — 8.9% vs 3.6%, a 5.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (19.7% vs 10.4%). Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($47.9M vs $25.0M). Over the past eight quarters, LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP's revenue compounded faster (17.6% CAGR vs -7.9%).

Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN) is a financial compliance company based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The company provides software as a service (SaaS) products, software-enabled services (SeS), print, and compliance services related to US Securities and Exchange Commission regulations to companies in capital and investment markets.

Lincoln Tech is an American group of for-profit postsecondary vocational institutions headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey with campuses in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas. Each campus is owned and operated by Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, a provider of career-oriented post-secondary education.

DFIN vs LINC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
DFIN
DFIN
1.2× larger
DFIN
$172.5M
$142.9M
LINC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
LINC
LINC
+9.3% gap
LINC
19.7%
10.4%
DFIN
Higher net margin
LINC
LINC
5.3% more per $
LINC
8.9%
3.6%
DFIN
More free cash flow
DFIN
DFIN
$22.9M more FCF
DFIN
$47.9M
$25.0M
LINC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
LINC
LINC
Annualised
LINC
17.6%
-7.9%
DFIN

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Revenue
$172.5M
$142.9M
Net Profit
$6.2M
$12.7M
Gross Margin
62.3%
Operating Margin
8.3%
12.4%
Net Margin
3.6%
8.9%
Revenue YoY
10.4%
19.7%
Net Profit YoY
-1.6%
85.9%
EPS (diluted)
$0.31
$0.41

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
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$172.5M
$142.9M
Q3 25
$175.3M
$141.4M
Q2 25
$218.1M
$116.5M
Q1 25
$201.1M
$117.5M
Q4 24
$156.3M
$119.4M
Q3 24
$179.5M
$114.4M
Q2 24
$242.7M
$102.9M
Q1 24
$203.4M
$103.4M
Net Profit
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$6.2M
$12.7M
Q3 25
$-40.9M
$3.8M
Q2 25
$36.1M
$1.6M
Q1 25
$31.0M
$1.9M
Q4 24
$6.3M
$6.8M
Q3 24
$8.7M
$4.0M
Q2 24
$44.1M
$-682.0K
Q1 24
$33.3M
$-214.0K
Gross Margin
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
62.3%
Q3 25
59.5%
Q2 25
59.8%
Q1 25
59.7%
Q4 24
62.2%
Q3 24
58.0%
Q2 24
55.7%
Q1 24
58.4%
Operating Margin
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
8.3%
12.4%
Q3 25
16.1%
4.4%
Q2 25
24.2%
2.5%
Q1 25
22.8%
2.9%
Q4 24
6.0%
9.2%
Q3 24
10.1%
5.1%
Q2 24
26.6%
-1.1%
Q1 24
21.9%
-0.4%
Net Margin
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
3.6%
8.9%
Q3 25
-23.3%
2.7%
Q2 25
16.6%
1.3%
Q1 25
15.4%
1.7%
Q4 24
4.0%
5.7%
Q3 24
4.8%
3.5%
Q2 24
18.2%
-0.7%
Q1 24
16.4%
-0.2%
EPS (diluted)
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$0.31
$0.41
Q3 25
$-1.49
$0.12
Q2 25
$1.28
$0.05
Q1 25
$1.05
$0.06
Q4 24
$0.21
$0.22
Q3 24
$0.29
$0.13
Q2 24
$1.47
$-0.02
Q1 24
$1.09
$-0.01

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$24.5M
$28.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$171.3M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$379.2M
$199.7M
Total Assets
$800.4M
$493.2M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.45×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$24.5M
$28.5M
Q3 25
$22.7M
$13.5M
Q2 25
$33.8M
$16.7M
Q1 25
$16.2M
$28.7M
Q4 24
$57.3M
$59.3M
Q3 24
$33.6M
$54.0M
Q2 24
$35.0M
$67.0M
Q1 24
$43.7M
$68.6M
Total Debt
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$171.3M
Q3 25
$154.7M
Q2 25
$190.1M
Q1 25
$189.5M
Q4 24
$124.7M
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
Stockholders' Equity
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$379.2M
$199.7M
Q3 25
$423.1M
$185.9M
Q2 25
$432.1M
$180.7M
Q1 25
$419.9M
$177.8M
Q4 24
$436.1M
$178.3M
Q3 24
$444.5M
$170.0M
Q2 24
$441.5M
$164.9M
Q1 24
$408.9M
$164.5M
Total Assets
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$800.4M
$493.2M
Q3 25
$816.3M
$466.9M
Q2 25
$874.7M
$447.3M
Q1 25
$852.8M
$427.4M
Q4 24
$841.6M
$436.6M
Q3 24
$843.6M
$404.0M
Q2 24
$882.9M
$366.4M
Q1 24
$867.8M
$355.2M
Debt / Equity
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
0.45×
Q3 25
0.37×
Q2 25
0.44×
Q1 25
0.45×
Q4 24
0.29×
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$59.8M
$43.5M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$47.9M
$25.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
27.8%
17.5%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
6.9%
13.0%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
9.65×
3.43×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$107.8M
$-27.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$59.8M
$43.5M
Q3 25
$74.4M
$23.9M
Q2 25
$68.4M
$299.0K
Q1 25
$-37.7M
$-8.4M
Q4 24
$56.4M
$30.3M
Q3 24
$86.4M
$5.6M
Q2 24
$56.2M
$8.3M
Q1 24
$-27.9M
$-14.9M
Free Cash Flow
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$47.9M
$25.0M
Q3 25
$59.2M
$2.0M
Q2 25
$51.7M
$-26.1M
Q1 25
$-51.0M
$-28.3M
Q4 24
$41.3M
$5.5M
Q3 24
$67.3M
$-13.8M
Q2 24
$36.8M
$-2.7M
Q1 24
$-40.2M
$-16.6M
FCF Margin
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
27.8%
17.5%
Q3 25
33.8%
1.4%
Q2 25
23.7%
-22.4%
Q1 25
-25.4%
-24.1%
Q4 24
26.4%
4.6%
Q3 24
37.5%
-12.0%
Q2 24
15.2%
-2.6%
Q1 24
-19.8%
-16.1%
Capex Intensity
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
6.9%
13.0%
Q3 25
8.7%
15.5%
Q2 25
7.7%
22.7%
Q1 25
6.6%
16.9%
Q4 24
9.7%
20.8%
Q3 24
10.6%
16.9%
Q2 24
8.0%
10.7%
Q1 24
6.0%
1.6%
Cash Conversion
DFIN
DFIN
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
9.65×
3.43×
Q3 25
6.29×
Q2 25
1.89×
0.19×
Q1 25
-1.22×
-4.31×
Q4 24
8.95×
4.43×
Q3 24
9.93×
1.42×
Q2 24
1.27×
Q1 24
-0.84×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

DFIN
DFIN

Technology Service$68.0M39%
Capital Markets Compliance And Communications Management$61.6M36%
Investment Companies Software Solutions$30.9M18%
Print And Distribution Service$13.6M8%

LINC
LINC

Transferred Over Time$136.0M95%
Transferred At Point In Time$6.9M5%

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