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

FORWARD AIR CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($631.2M vs $339.5M, roughly 1.9× Childrens Place, Inc.). Childrens Place, Inc. runs the higher net margin — -1.3% vs -4.5%, a 3.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, FORWARD AIR CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-0.3% vs -13.0%). Over the past eight quarters, FORWARD AIR CORP's revenue compounded faster (7.9% CAGR vs -13.6%).

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.

The Children’s Place is a retailer of clothing for children. It sells its products primarily under its proprietary brands The Children’s Place, Gymboree, Sugar & Jade, PJ Place and Crazy 8. The company has about 525 stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, and also sells via two online outlets and through five franchise partners in 15 countries. Its product line includes tops, skirts, dresses, jackets, shoes, bottoms, sleepwear and backpacks. The Children’s Place is headquartered in Secauc...

FWRD vs PLCE — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
FWRD
FWRD
1.9× larger
FWRD
$631.2M
$339.5M
PLCE
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
FWRD
FWRD
+12.7% gap
FWRD
-0.3%
-13.0%
PLCE
Higher net margin
PLCE
PLCE
3.2% more per $
PLCE
-1.3%
-4.5%
FWRD
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
FWRD
FWRD
Annualised
FWRD
7.9%
-13.6%
PLCE

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Revenue
$631.2M
$339.5M
Net Profit
$-28.3M
$-4.3M
Gross Margin
33.1%
Operating Margin
-0.5%
1.1%
Net Margin
-4.5%
-1.3%
Revenue YoY
-0.3%
-13.0%
Net Profit YoY
22.2%
-121.5%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.90
$-0.19

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
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$631.2M
$339.5M
Q3 25
$631.8M
$298.0M
Q2 25
$618.8M
$242.1M
Q1 25
$613.3M
$408.6M
Q4 24
$632.8M
$390.2M
Q3 24
$655.9M
$319.7M
Q2 24
$643.7M
$267.9M
Q1 24
$541.8M
$455.0M
Net Profit
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$-28.3M
$-4.3M
Q3 25
$-16.3M
$-5.4M
Q2 25
$-12.6M
$-34.0M
Q1 25
$-50.6M
$-8.0M
Q4 24
$-36.4M
$20.1M
Q3 24
$-73.4M
$-32.1M
Q2 24
$-645.4M
$-37.8M
Q1 24
$-61.7M
$-128.8M
Gross Margin
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
33.1%
Q3 25
34.0%
Q2 25
29.2%
Q1 25
28.5%
Q4 24
35.5%
Q3 24
35.0%
Q2 24
34.6%
Q1 24
21.8%
Operating Margin
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
-0.5%
1.1%
Q3 25
2.4%
1.4%
Q2 25
3.2%
-10.0%
Q1 25
0.8%
1.7%
Q4 24
12.0%
7.5%
Q3 24
3.5%
-6.8%
Q2 24
-170.2%
-10.4%
Q1 24
-12.1%
-13.6%
Net Margin
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
-4.5%
-1.3%
Q3 25
-2.6%
-1.8%
Q2 25
-2.0%
-14.1%
Q1 25
-8.3%
-2.0%
Q4 24
-5.8%
5.1%
Q3 24
-11.2%
-10.0%
Q2 24
-100.3%
-14.1%
Q1 24
-11.4%
-28.3%
EPS (diluted)
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$-0.90
$-0.19
Q3 25
$-0.52
$-0.24
Q2 25
$-0.41
$-1.57
Q1 25
$-1.68
$-0.60
Q4 24
$-1.69
$1.57
Q3 24
$-2.66
$-2.51
Q2 24
$-23.47
$-2.98
Q1 24
$-2.81
$-10.24

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$106.0M
$7.3M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.7B
$107.4M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$113.3M
$-8.6M
Total Assets
$2.7B
$762.5M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
14.89×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$106.0M
$7.3M
Q3 25
$140.4M
$7.8M
Q2 25
$95.1M
$5.7M
Q1 25
$116.3M
$5.3M
Q4 24
$104.9M
$5.7M
Q3 24
$136.6M
$9.6M
Q2 24
$84.9M
$13.0M
Q1 24
$152.0M
$13.6M
Total Debt
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$1.7B
$107.4M
Q3 25
$1.7B
$107.2M
Q2 25
$107.0M
Q1 25
$166.0M
Q4 24
$165.7M
Q3 24
$165.4M
Q2 24
$166.6M
Q1 24
$1.7B
$49.8M
Stockholders' Equity
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$113.3M
$-8.6M
Q3 25
$139.8M
$-4.9M
Q2 25
$151.8M
$1.4M
Q1 25
$154.6M
$-59.4M
Q4 24
$201.7M
$-49.6M
Q3 24
$226.1M
$-68.9M
Q2 24
$283.8M
$-34.9M
Q1 24
$926.1M
$-9.0M
Total Assets
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$2.7B
$762.5M
Q3 25
$2.8B
$805.1M
Q2 25
$2.8B
$779.6M
Q1 25
$2.8B
$747.6M
Q4 24
$2.8B
$888.8M
Q3 24
$3.1B
$921.4M
Q2 24
$3.1B
$848.3M
Q1 24
$4.0B
$800.3M
Debt / Equity
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
14.89×
Q3 25
12.05×
Q2 25
75.63×
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
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$6.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-3.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-1.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.3%
2.8%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$39.5M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$6.2M
Q3 25
$52.7M
$-30.5M
Q2 25
$-43.0M
Q1 25
$27.6M
$121.3M
Q4 24
$-23.2M
$-44.2M
Q3 24
$51.2M
$-83.9M
Q2 24
$-45.2M
$-110.8M
Q1 24
$-51.7M
$135.4M
Free Cash Flow
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
$-3.4M
Q3 25
$48.6M
$-31.9M
Q2 25
$-46.4M
Q1 25
$15.7M
$121.2M
Q4 24
$-30.5M
$-47.7M
Q3 24
$40.7M
$-91.7M
Q2 24
$-59.6M
$-115.5M
Q1 24
$-56.7M
$132.2M
FCF Margin
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
-1.0%
Q3 25
7.7%
-10.7%
Q2 25
-19.2%
Q1 25
2.6%
29.7%
Q4 24
-4.8%
-12.2%
Q3 24
6.2%
-28.7%
Q2 24
-9.3%
-43.1%
Q1 24
-10.5%
29.1%
Capex Intensity
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
1.3%
2.8%
Q3 25
0.7%
0.5%
Q2 25
0.8%
1.4%
Q1 25
1.9%
0.0%
Q4 24
1.1%
0.9%
Q3 24
1.6%
2.4%
Q2 24
2.2%
1.8%
Q1 24
0.9%
0.7%
Cash Conversion
FWRD
FWRD
PLCE
PLCE
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
-2.20×
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

FWRD
FWRD

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

PLCE
PLCE

The Childrens Place US$307.4M91%
The Childrens Place International$32.1M9%
Gift Cards$1.7M1%

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