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Side-by-side financial comparison of ESAB Corp (ESAB) and Waters Corporation (WAT). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Waters Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($932.4M vs $727.8M, roughly 1.3× ESAB Corp). Waters Corporation runs the higher net margin — 24.2% vs 7.5%, a 16.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ESAB Corp posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (8.5% vs 6.8%). Over the past eight quarters, Waters Corporation's revenue compounded faster (21.0% CAGR vs 2.8%).

ESAB, Elektriska Svetsnings-Aktiebolaget, is an American-Swedish industrial company.

Waters Corporation is an American company headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts that provides analytical instruments and software used for chromatography, mass spectrometry, laboratory informatics, and rheometry by the life sciences, materials, and food industries.

ESAB vs WAT — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WAT
WAT
1.3× larger
WAT
$932.4M
$727.8M
ESAB
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ESAB
ESAB
+1.7% gap
ESAB
8.5%
6.8%
WAT
Higher net margin
WAT
WAT
16.6% more per $
WAT
24.2%
7.5%
ESAB
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
WAT
WAT
Annualised
WAT
21.0%
2.8%
ESAB

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Revenue
$727.8M
$932.4M
Net Profit
$54.8M
$225.2M
Gross Margin
37.0%
61.1%
Operating Margin
14.6%
29.0%
Net Margin
7.5%
24.2%
Revenue YoY
8.5%
6.8%
Net Profit YoY
2.1%
-2.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.90
$3.76

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
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$727.8M
$932.4M
Q3 25
$715.6M
$799.9M
Q2 25
$678.1M
$771.3M
Q1 25
$661.7M
Q4 24
$670.8M
$872.7M
Q3 24
$673.3M
$740.3M
Q2 24
$707.1M
$708.5M
Q1 24
$689.7M
$636.8M
Net Profit
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$54.8M
$225.2M
Q3 25
$66.9M
$148.9M
Q2 25
$67.4M
$147.1M
Q1 25
$121.4M
Q4 24
$53.7M
$231.4M
Q3 24
$68.2M
$161.5M
Q2 24
$82.9M
$142.7M
Q1 24
$60.0M
$102.2M
Gross Margin
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
37.0%
61.1%
Q3 25
37.2%
59.0%
Q2 25
37.6%
58.3%
Q1 25
58.2%
Q4 24
38.5%
60.1%
Q3 24
37.7%
59.3%
Q2 24
38.2%
59.3%
Q1 24
37.0%
58.9%
Operating Margin
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
14.6%
29.0%
Q3 25
15.2%
24.0%
Q2 25
16.2%
24.4%
Q1 25
22.9%
Q4 24
16.6%
33.5%
Q3 24
15.7%
28.5%
Q2 24
16.9%
26.7%
Q1 24
16.0%
21.0%
Net Margin
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
7.5%
24.2%
Q3 25
9.3%
18.6%
Q2 25
9.9%
19.1%
Q1 25
18.3%
Q4 24
8.0%
26.5%
Q3 24
10.1%
21.8%
Q2 24
11.7%
20.1%
Q1 24
8.7%
16.0%
EPS (diluted)
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$0.90
$3.76
Q3 25
$1.09
$2.50
Q2 25
$1.10
$2.47
Q1 25
$2.03
Q4 24
$0.87
$3.88
Q3 24
$1.11
$2.71
Q2 24
$1.35
$2.40
Q1 24
$0.98
$1.72

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$218.2M
$587.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.3B
$1.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.1B
$2.6B
Total Assets
$4.9B
$5.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.63×
0.55×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$218.2M
$587.8M
Q3 25
$258.2M
$459.1M
Q2 25
$291.3M
$367.2M
Q1 25
$382.9M
Q4 24
$249.4M
$325.4M
Q3 24
$253.7M
$331.5M
Q2 24
$228.5M
$327.4M
Q1 24
$76.5M
$338.2M
Total Debt
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$1.3B
$1.4B
Q3 25
$1.1B
Q2 25
$1.1B
Q1 25
Q4 24
$1.1B
$1.6B
Q3 24
$1.1B
Q2 24
$1.1B
Q1 24
$992.8M
Stockholders' Equity
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$2.1B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$2.1B
$2.3B
Q2 25
$1.9B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$2.0B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$1.8B
Q3 24
$1.8B
$1.6B
Q2 24
$1.7B
$1.4B
Q1 24
$1.6B
$1.3B
Total Assets
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$4.9B
$5.1B
Q3 25
$4.4B
$4.9B
Q2 25
$4.2B
$4.7B
Q1 25
$4.6B
Q4 24
$4.0B
$4.6B
Q3 24
$4.1B
$4.5B
Q2 24
$4.0B
$4.4B
Q1 24
$3.8B
$4.5B
Debt / Equity
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
0.63×
0.55×
Q3 25
0.51×
Q2 25
0.55×
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.60×
0.89×
Q3 24
0.59×
Q2 24
0.63×
Q1 24
0.61×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$81.5M
$164.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$70.3M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
9.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.49×
0.73×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$238.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$81.5M
$164.6M
Q3 25
$46.6M
$187.3M
Q2 25
$35.4M
$41.1M
Q1 25
$259.6M
Q4 24
$126.9M
$240.1M
Q3 24
$101.0M
$204.6M
Q2 24
$83.0M
$54.5M
Q1 24
$44.5M
$262.9M
Free Cash Flow
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$70.3M
Q3 25
$37.4M
Q2 25
$28.1M
Q1 25
Q4 24
$102.2M
Q3 24
$90.4M
Q2 24
$74.0M
Q1 24
$37.1M
FCF Margin
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
9.7%
Q3 25
5.2%
Q2 25
4.1%
Q1 25
Q4 24
15.2%
Q3 24
13.4%
Q2 24
10.5%
Q1 24
5.4%
Capex Intensity
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
1.5%
Q3 25
1.3%
Q2 25
1.1%
Q1 25
Q4 24
3.7%
Q3 24
1.6%
Q2 24
1.3%
Q1 24
1.1%
Cash Conversion
ESAB
ESAB
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
1.49×
0.73×
Q3 25
0.70×
1.26×
Q2 25
0.53×
0.28×
Q1 25
2.14×
Q4 24
2.36×
1.04×
Q3 24
1.48×
1.27×
Q2 24
1.00×
0.38×
Q1 24
0.74×
2.57×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ESAB
ESAB

Consumable Products$477.9M66%
Equipment Products$249.9M34%

WAT
WAT

Segment breakdown not available.

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