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Side-by-side financial comparison of ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC (ESE) and MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC (MDU). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($522.6M vs $289.7M, roughly 1.8× ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC). MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC runs the higher net margin — 14.6% vs 9.9%, a 4.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (17.3% vs -1.6%). ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($63.0M vs $-336.0M). Over the past eight quarters, ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC's revenue compounded faster (7.8% CAGR vs -5.7%).

Esco is a Singaporean brand that develops, manufactures, and sells products and services for laboratories.

MDU Resources Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based corporation supplying products and services to regulated energy delivery and utilities related construction materials and services businesses. It is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, and operates in 48 states.

ESE vs MDU — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MDU
MDU
1.8× larger
MDU
$522.6M
$289.7M
ESE
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ESE
ESE
+18.8% gap
ESE
17.3%
-1.6%
MDU
Higher net margin
MDU
MDU
4.7% more per $
MDU
14.6%
9.9%
ESE
More free cash flow
ESE
ESE
$399.0M more FCF
ESE
$63.0M
$-336.0M
MDU
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ESE
ESE
Annualised
ESE
7.8%
-5.7%
MDU

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Revenue
$289.7M
$522.6M
Net Profit
$28.7M
$76.3M
Gross Margin
41.4%
Operating Margin
13.2%
20.5%
Net Margin
9.9%
14.6%
Revenue YoY
17.3%
-1.6%
Net Profit YoY
22.2%
38.4%
EPS (diluted)
$1.11
$0.37

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
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$289.7M
$522.6M
Q3 25
$286.5M
$313.6M
Q2 25
$296.3M
$348.7M
Q1 25
$265.5M
$678.0M
Q4 24
$247.0M
$531.0M
Q3 24
$298.5M
$290.7M
Q2 24
$260.8M
$343.1M
Q1 24
$249.1M
$588.2M
Net Profit
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$28.7M
$76.3M
Q3 25
$218.7M
$18.3M
Q2 25
$26.1M
$13.8M
Q1 25
$31.0M
$82.0M
Q4 24
$23.5M
$55.2M
Q3 24
$34.3M
$64.6M
Q2 24
$29.2M
$60.4M
Q1 24
$23.2M
$100.9M
Gross Margin
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
41.4%
Q3 25
45.9%
Q2 25
41.2%
Q1 25
41.1%
Q4 24
39.8%
Q3 24
40.1%
Q2 24
39.6%
Q1 24
38.8%
Operating Margin
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
13.2%
20.5%
Q3 25
17.2%
12.7%
Q2 25
11.2%
8.7%
Q1 25
15.3%
16.6%
Q4 24
11.4%
17.8%
Q3 24
14.8%
12.0%
Q2 24
14.3%
11.5%
Q1 24
11.7%
16.4%
Net Margin
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
9.9%
14.6%
Q3 25
76.3%
5.8%
Q2 25
8.8%
4.0%
Q1 25
11.7%
12.1%
Q4 24
9.5%
10.4%
Q3 24
11.5%
22.2%
Q2 24
11.2%
17.6%
Q1 24
9.3%
17.2%
EPS (diluted)
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$1.11
$0.37
Q3 25
$8.43
$0.09
Q2 25
$1.01
$0.07
Q1 25
$1.20
$0.40
Q4 24
$0.91
$0.26
Q3 24
$1.32
$0.32
Q2 24
$1.13
$0.30
Q1 24
$0.90
$0.49

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$103.8M
$28.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$145.5M
$2.7B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.6B
$2.8B
Total Assets
$2.4B
$7.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.09×
0.97×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$103.8M
$28.2M
Q3 25
$101.3M
$75.9M
Q2 25
$78.7M
$58.8M
Q1 25
$57.4M
$59.5M
Q4 24
$71.3M
$66.9M
Q3 24
$66.0M
$88.3M
Q2 24
$63.0M
$78.8M
Q1 24
$59.4M
$72.7M
Total Debt
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$145.5M
$2.7B
Q3 25
$186.0M
$2.4B
Q2 25
$525.0M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$88.0M
$2.2B
Q4 24
$112.0M
$2.3B
Q3 24
$122.0M
$2.3B
Q2 24
$173.0M
$2.3B
Q1 24
$191.0M
$2.3B
Stockholders' Equity
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$1.6B
$2.8B
Q3 25
$1.5B
$2.7B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$2.7B
Q1 25
$1.3B
$2.7B
Q4 24
$1.2B
$2.7B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$1.2B
$3.0B
Q1 24
$1.2B
$3.0B
Total Assets
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$2.4B
$7.6B
Q3 25
$2.4B
$7.2B
Q2 25
$2.5B
$6.9B
Q1 25
$1.8B
$7.0B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$7.0B
Q3 24
$1.8B
$8.2B
Q2 24
$1.8B
$8.0B
Q1 24
$1.8B
$7.8B
Debt / Equity
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
0.09×
0.97×
Q3 25
0.12×
0.86×
Q2 25
0.40×
0.80×
Q1 25
0.07×
0.80×
Q4 24
0.09×
0.85×
Q3 24
0.10×
0.76×
Q2 24
0.14×
0.75×
Q1 24
0.16×
0.76×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$68.9M
$80.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$63.0M
$-336.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
21.7%
-64.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.0%
79.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.40×
1.06×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$239.6M
$-297.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$68.9M
$80.6M
Q3 25
$109.9M
$57.9M
Q2 25
$73.7M
$117.4M
Q1 25
$24.1M
$217.5M
Q4 24
$34.2M
$60.5M
Q3 24
$72.1M
$140.2M
Q2 24
$36.2M
$136.5M
Q1 24
$10.5M
$165.1M
Free Cash Flow
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$63.0M
$-336.0M
Q3 25
$97.8M
$-121.9M
Q2 25
$64.9M
$36.5M
Q1 25
$14.0M
$124.4M
Q4 24
$29.0M
$-95.8M
Q3 24
$60.9M
$673.0K
Q2 24
$27.6M
$26.5M
Q1 24
$2.0M
$48.1M
FCF Margin
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
21.7%
-64.3%
Q3 25
34.1%
-38.9%
Q2 25
21.9%
10.5%
Q1 25
5.3%
18.4%
Q4 24
11.7%
-18.0%
Q3 24
20.4%
0.2%
Q2 24
10.6%
7.7%
Q1 24
0.8%
8.2%
Capex Intensity
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
2.0%
79.7%
Q3 25
4.2%
57.3%
Q2 25
3.0%
23.2%
Q1 25
3.8%
13.7%
Q4 24
2.1%
29.4%
Q3 24
3.8%
48.0%
Q2 24
3.3%
32.0%
Q1 24
3.4%
19.9%
Cash Conversion
ESE
ESE
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
2.40×
1.06×
Q3 25
0.50×
3.16×
Q2 25
2.83×
8.52×
Q1 25
0.78×
2.65×
Q4 24
1.46×
1.10×
Q3 24
2.10×
2.17×
Q2 24
1.24×
2.26×
Q1 24
0.45×
1.64×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ESE
ESE

US Government$98.0M34%
Utility Solutions Group$87.5M30%
RF Shielding And Test$58.3M20%
Commercial$45.8M16%
Related Party$1.3M0%

MDU
MDU

Natural Gas Distribution$382.8M73%
Commercial Utility Sales$42.7M8%
Residential Utility Sales$33.7M6%
Pipelineand Midstream$31.1M6%
Natural Gas Transportation$17.2M3%
Industrial Utility Sales$10.1M2%
Natural Gas Storage$6.4M1%
Other Utility Sales$1.9M0%

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