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Side-by-side financial comparison of FORWARD AIR CORP (FWRD) and StepStone Group Inc. (STEP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

FORWARD AIR CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($631.2M vs $586.5M, roughly 1.1× StepStone Group Inc.). FORWARD AIR CORP runs the higher net margin — -4.5% vs -21.0%, a 16.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, StepStone Group Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (73.0% vs -0.3%). Over the past eight quarters, StepStone Group Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (28.2% CAGR vs 7.9%).

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.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is an American education technology software company that develops language, literacy and brain-fitness software. Best known for its language-learning products, in 2013, the company expanded beyond language into education-technology with its acquisitions of Livemocha, Lexia Learning, Fit Brains, and Tell Me More. In 2021, it became a subsidiary of IXL Learning.

FWRD vs STEP — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
FWRD
FWRD
1.1× larger
FWRD
$631.2M
$586.5M
STEP
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STEP
STEP
+73.3% gap
STEP
73.0%
-0.3%
FWRD
Higher net margin
FWRD
FWRD
16.6% more per $
FWRD
-4.5%
-21.0%
STEP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEP
STEP
Annualised
STEP
28.2%
7.9%
FWRD

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Revenue
$631.2M
$586.5M
Net Profit
$-28.3M
$-123.5M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
-0.5%
-33.2%
Net Margin
-4.5%
-21.0%
Revenue YoY
-0.3%
73.0%
Net Profit YoY
22.2%
35.7%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.90
$-1.55

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
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$631.2M
$586.5M
Q3 25
$631.8M
$454.2M
Q2 25
$618.8M
$364.3M
Q1 25
$613.3M
$377.7M
Q4 24
$632.8M
$339.0M
Q3 24
$655.9M
$271.7M
Q2 24
$643.7M
$186.4M
Q1 24
$541.8M
$356.8M
Net Profit
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$-28.3M
$-123.5M
Q3 25
$-16.3M
$-366.1M
Q2 25
$-12.6M
$-38.4M
Q1 25
$-50.6M
$-18.5M
Q4 24
$-36.4M
$-192.0M
Q3 24
$-73.4M
$17.6M
Q2 24
$-645.4M
$13.3M
Q1 24
$-61.7M
$30.8M
Operating Margin
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
-0.5%
-33.2%
Q3 25
2.4%
-148.8%
Q2 25
3.2%
-5.6%
Q1 25
0.8%
2.6%
Q4 24
12.0%
-101.7%
Q3 24
3.5%
21.3%
Q2 24
-170.2%
29.4%
Q1 24
-12.1%
26.5%
Net Margin
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
-4.5%
-21.0%
Q3 25
-2.6%
-80.6%
Q2 25
-2.0%
-10.5%
Q1 25
-8.3%
-4.9%
Q4 24
-5.8%
-56.6%
Q3 24
-11.2%
6.5%
Q2 24
-100.3%
7.2%
Q1 24
-11.4%
8.6%
EPS (diluted)
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$-0.90
$-1.55
Q3 25
$-0.52
$-4.66
Q2 25
$-0.41
$-0.49
Q1 25
$-1.68
$-0.37
Q4 24
$-1.69
$-2.61
Q3 24
$-2.66
$0.26
Q2 24
$-23.47
$0.20
Q1 24
$-2.81
$0.47

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$106.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.7B
$270.2M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$113.3M
$-378.8M
Total Assets
$2.7B
$5.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
14.89×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$106.0M
Q3 25
$140.4M
Q2 25
$95.1M
Q1 25
$116.3M
Q4 24
$104.9M
Q3 24
$136.6M
Q2 24
$84.9M
Q1 24
$152.0M
Total Debt
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$1.7B
$270.2M
Q3 25
$1.7B
$269.9M
Q2 25
$269.6M
Q1 25
$269.3M
Q4 24
$168.9M
Q3 24
$172.3M
Q2 24
$172.1M
Q1 24
$1.7B
$148.8M
Stockholders' Equity
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$113.3M
$-378.8M
Q3 25
$139.8M
$-233.5M
Q2 25
$151.8M
$153.9M
Q1 25
$154.6M
$179.4M
Q4 24
$201.7M
$209.8M
Q3 24
$226.1M
$397.5M
Q2 24
$283.8M
$366.9M
Q1 24
$926.1M
$324.5M
Total Assets
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$2.7B
$5.2B
Q3 25
$2.8B
$5.3B
Q2 25
$2.8B
$4.8B
Q1 25
$2.8B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$2.8B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$3.1B
$4.0B
Q2 24
$3.1B
$3.8B
Q1 24
$4.0B
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
14.89×
Q3 25
12.05×
Q2 25
1.75×
Q1 25
1.50×
Q4 24
0.81×
Q3 24
0.43×
Q2 24
0.47×
Q1 24
1.81×
0.46×

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
STEP
STEP
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$27.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$26.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
4.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.3%
0.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$18.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$27.2M
Q3 25
$52.7M
$16.2M
Q2 25
$46.3M
Q1 25
$27.6M
$-66.5M
Q4 24
$-23.2M
$27.6M
Q3 24
$51.2M
$53.7M
Q2 24
$-45.2M
$50.2M
Q1 24
$-51.7M
$7.6M
Free Cash Flow
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$26.7M
Q3 25
$48.6M
$15.9M
Q2 25
$45.2M
Q1 25
$15.7M
$-69.2M
Q4 24
$-30.5M
$27.0M
Q3 24
$40.7M
$52.4M
Q2 24
$-59.6M
$49.6M
Q1 24
$-56.7M
$6.7M
FCF Margin
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
4.6%
Q3 25
7.7%
3.5%
Q2 25
12.4%
Q1 25
2.6%
-18.3%
Q4 24
-4.8%
8.0%
Q3 24
6.2%
19.3%
Q2 24
-9.3%
26.6%
Q1 24
-10.5%
1.9%
Capex Intensity
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
1.3%
0.1%
Q3 25
0.7%
0.1%
Q2 25
0.8%
0.3%
Q1 25
1.9%
0.7%
Q4 24
1.1%
0.2%
Q3 24
1.6%
0.5%
Q2 24
2.2%
0.3%
Q1 24
0.9%
0.3%
Cash Conversion
FWRD
FWRD
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
3.05×
Q2 24
3.76×
Q1 24
0.25×

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%

STEP
STEP

Other$210.1M36%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Focused Commingled Funds$143.3M24%
Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$85.1M15%
Carried Interest Allocation Separately Managed Accounts$63.6M11%
Carried Interest Allocation Realized$46.7M8%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Advisory And Other Services$18.3M3%
Legacy Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$10.3M2%
Income Based Incentive Fees$6.0M1%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Fund Reimbursement Revenues$3.1M1%

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