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Side-by-side financial comparison of Element Solutions Inc (ESI) and Graham Holdings Co (GHC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Graham Holdings Co is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.3B vs $840.0M, roughly 1.5× Element Solutions Inc). Graham Holdings Co runs the higher net margin — 8.7% vs 6.7%, a 2.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Element Solutions Inc posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (41.0% vs 0.4%). Graham Holdings Co produced more free cash flow last quarter ($5.0M vs $-74.2M). Over the past eight quarters, Element Solutions Inc's revenue compounded faster (17.1% CAGR vs 4.2%).
Element Solutions Inc is an American specialty chemicals production corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Graham Holdings Company is a diversified American conglomerate holding company. Headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia, and incorporated in Delaware, it was formerly the owner of The Washington Post newspaper and Newsweek magazine.
ESI vs GHC — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $840.0M | $1.3B |
| Net Profit | $56.0M | $108.7M |
| Gross Margin | 38.4% | — |
| Operating Margin | 13.3% | 3.8% |
| Net Margin | 6.7% | 8.7% |
| Revenue YoY | 41.0% | 0.4% |
| Net Profit YoY | -42.9% | -80.2% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.23 | $24.76 |
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.
| Q1 26 | $840.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $676.2M | $1.3B | ||
| Q3 25 | $656.1M | $1.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $625.2M | $1.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $593.7M | $1.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $624.2M | $1.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $645.0M | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $612.7M | $1.2B |
| Q1 26 | $56.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $6.2M | $108.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $39.3M | $122.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $47.4M | $36.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $98.0M | $23.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $54.7M | $548.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $40.3M | $72.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $93.2M | $-21.0M |
| Q1 26 | 38.4% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 40.9% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 42.2% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 42.6% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 42.2% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 41.0% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 41.5% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 43.6% | — |
| Q1 26 | 13.3% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 10.3% | 3.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | 15.4% | 5.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 15.1% | 6.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 13.0% | 4.1% | ||
| Q4 24 | 12.0% | 5.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 14.7% | 6.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 15.7% | 2.2% |
| Q1 26 | 6.7% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.9% | 8.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | 6.0% | 9.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | 7.6% | 3.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 16.5% | 2.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 8.8% | 44.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 6.2% | 6.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 15.2% | -1.8% |
| Q1 26 | $0.23 | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.03 | $24.76 | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.16 | $27.91 | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.20 | $8.35 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.40 | $5.45 | ||
| Q4 24 | $0.22 | $124.05 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.17 | $16.42 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.39 | $-4.79 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $177.3M | $267.0M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | — | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $2.7B | $4.8B |
| Total Assets | $5.7B | $8.4B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $177.3M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $626.5M | $267.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $594.3M | $190.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $529.9M | $176.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $499.2M | $156.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $359.4M | $260.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $376.0M | $244.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $309.3M | $140.7M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.8B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.9B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.9B | — |
| Q1 26 | $2.7B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $2.7B | $4.8B | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.7B | $4.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.6B | $4.4B | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.5B | $4.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.4B | $4.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.4B | $4.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $2.4B | $4.0B |
| Q1 26 | $5.7B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $5.1B | $8.4B | ||
| Q3 25 | $5.0B | $7.9B | ||
| Q2 25 | $5.0B | $7.6B | ||
| Q1 25 | $4.8B | $7.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $4.9B | $7.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $5.1B | $7.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $5.0B | $7.2B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.61× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.61× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.62× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.64× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.76× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.78× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.81× | — |
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 | — | $28.3M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-74.2M | $5.0M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -8.8% | 0.4% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | 0.26× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | — | $275.3M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | $28.3M | ||
| Q3 25 | $100.1M | $178.1M | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $94.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $26.0M | $46.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $116.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $98.5M | $237.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $52.0M |
| Q1 26 | $-74.2M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | $5.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $83.6M | $161.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $78.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $15.0M | $30.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $91.1M | ||
| Q3 24 | $85.9M | $219.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $33.7M |
| Q1 26 | -8.8% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 0.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | 12.7% | 12.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 6.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.5% | 2.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 7.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 13.3% | 18.2% | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 2.8% |
| Q1 26 | 3.0% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 2.5% | 1.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.5% | 1.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.8% | 1.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.9% | 1.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.6% | 2.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.0% | 1.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 0.26× | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.55× | 1.45× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 2.58× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.27× | 1.93× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 0.21× | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.44× | 3.28× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | — |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
ESI
| Electronics ex-Metals | $377.8M | 45% |
| Pass-through Metals | $255.7M | 30% |
| Other | $206.5M | 25% |
GHC
| Products | $602.7M | 48% |
| Kaplan International | $251.9M | 20% |
| Manufacturing | $117.8M | 9% |
| Television Broadcasting | $110.5M | 9% |
| Higher Education | $83.8M | 7% |
| Supplemental Education | $74.9M | 6% |
| Related Party | $4.4M | 0% |
