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Side-by-side financial comparison of Gates Industrial Corp plc (GTES) and MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC (MSM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($965.7M vs $856.2M, roughly 1.1× Gates Industrial Corp plc). Gates Industrial Corp plc runs the higher net margin — 6.0% vs 5.4%, a 0.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.0% vs 3.2%). Gates Industrial Corp plc produced more free cash flow last quarter ($251.0M vs $7.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Gates Industrial Corp plc's revenue compounded faster (-0.4% CAGR vs -3.4%).

Gates Industrial Corporation plc, based in Denver, Colorado, is a manufacturer of power transmission belts and fluid power products, which are used in diverse industrial and automotive applications. The company employs over 15,000 and has sales and manufacturing operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc (MSC), through its subsidiaries, primarily MSC Industrial Supply Co., is one of the largest industrial equipment distributors in the United States, distributing more than 1.5 million metalworking and other industrial products.

GTES vs MSM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MSM
MSM
1.1× larger
MSM
$965.7M
$856.2M
GTES
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MSM
MSM
+0.8% gap
MSM
4.0%
3.2%
GTES
Higher net margin
GTES
GTES
0.6% more per $
GTES
6.0%
5.4%
MSM
More free cash flow
GTES
GTES
$243.6M more FCF
GTES
$251.0M
$7.4M
MSM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
GTES
GTES
Annualised
GTES
-0.4%
-3.4%
MSM

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Revenue
$856.2M
$965.7M
Net Profit
$51.3M
$51.8M
Gross Margin
38.0%
40.7%
Operating Margin
12.8%
7.9%
Net Margin
6.0%
5.4%
Revenue YoY
3.2%
4.0%
Net Profit YoY
40.2%
11.1%
EPS (diluted)
$0.19
$0.93

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
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$856.2M
$965.7M
Q3 25
$855.7M
$978.2M
Q2 25
$883.7M
$971.1M
Q1 25
$847.6M
Q4 24
$829.4M
$928.5M
Q3 24
$830.7M
Q2 24
$885.5M
$979.4M
Q1 24
$862.6M
$935.3M
Net Profit
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$51.3M
$51.8M
Q3 25
$81.6M
$56.5M
Q2 25
$56.5M
$56.8M
Q1 25
$62.0M
Q4 24
$36.6M
$46.6M
Q3 24
$47.6M
Q2 24
$70.7M
$71.7M
Q1 24
$40.0M
$61.8M
Gross Margin
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
38.0%
40.7%
Q3 25
39.9%
40.4%
Q2 25
40.8%
41.0%
Q1 25
40.7%
Q4 24
40.4%
40.7%
Q3 24
40.4%
Q2 24
40.4%
40.9%
Q1 24
38.3%
41.5%
Operating Margin
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
12.8%
7.9%
Q3 25
13.5%
8.6%
Q2 25
13.1%
8.5%
Q1 25
14.7%
Q4 24
13.6%
7.8%
Q3 24
13.6%
Q2 24
15.4%
10.9%
Q1 24
13.5%
9.7%
Net Margin
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
6.0%
5.4%
Q3 25
9.5%
5.8%
Q2 25
6.4%
5.9%
Q1 25
7.3%
Q4 24
4.4%
5.0%
Q3 24
5.7%
Q2 24
8.0%
7.3%
Q1 24
4.6%
6.6%
EPS (diluted)
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$0.19
$0.93
Q3 25
$0.31
$1.02
Q2 25
$0.22
$1.02
Q1 25
$0.24
Q4 24
$0.15
$0.83
Q3 24
$0.18
Q2 24
$0.26
$1.27
Q1 24
$0.15
$1.10

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$812.1M
$40.3M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.2B
$214.1M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$3.3B
$1.4B
Total Assets
$7.2B
$2.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.67×
0.16×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$812.1M
$40.3M
Q3 25
$689.4M
$56.2M
Q2 25
$719.7M
$71.7M
Q1 25
$640.2M
Q4 24
$682.0M
$57.3M
Q3 24
$574.4M
Q2 24
$579.7M
$25.9M
Q1 24
$522.2M
$22.2M
Total Debt
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$2.2B
$214.1M
Q3 25
$2.2B
$168.8M
Q2 25
$2.3B
$285.0M
Q1 25
$2.3B
Q4 24
$2.4B
$289.9M
Q3 24
$2.4B
Q2 24
$2.3B
$299.8M
Q1 24
$2.3B
$294.5M
Stockholders' Equity
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$3.3B
$1.4B
Q3 25
$3.4B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$3.3B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$3.1B
Q4 24
$3.0B
$1.4B
Q3 24
$3.1B
Q2 24
$3.2B
$1.4B
Q1 24
$3.2B
$1.4B
Total Assets
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$7.2B
$2.5B
Q3 25
$7.1B
$2.5B
Q2 25
$7.2B
$2.5B
Q1 25
$6.9B
Q4 24
$6.8B
$2.5B
Q3 24
$7.1B
Q2 24
$7.0B
$2.5B
Q1 24
$7.0B
$2.5B
Debt / Equity
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
0.67×
0.16×
Q3 25
0.66×
0.12×
Q2 25
0.72×
0.21×
Q1 25
0.75×
Q4 24
0.78×
0.21×
Q3 24
0.76×
Q2 24
0.73×
0.21×
Q1 24
0.74×
0.21×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$269.8M
$29.4M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$251.0M
$7.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
29.3%
0.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.2%
2.3%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
5.26×
0.57×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$404.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$269.8M
$29.4M
Q3 25
$98.0M
Q2 25
$103.0M
$151.6M
Q1 25
$7.3M
Q4 24
$190.9M
$101.9M
Q3 24
$115.9M
Q2 24
$93.8M
$143.5M
Q1 24
$-21.0M
$78.7M
Free Cash Flow
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$251.0M
$7.4M
Q3 25
$80.5M
Q2 25
$83.6M
$100.7M
Q1 25
$-10.2M
Q4 24
$167.6M
$81.7M
Q3 24
$94.0M
Q2 24
$71.9M
$114.0M
Q1 24
$-37.0M
$53.4M
FCF Margin
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
29.3%
0.8%
Q3 25
9.4%
Q2 25
9.5%
10.4%
Q1 25
-1.2%
Q4 24
20.2%
8.8%
Q3 24
11.3%
Q2 24
8.1%
11.6%
Q1 24
-4.3%
5.7%
Capex Intensity
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
2.2%
2.3%
Q3 25
2.0%
Q2 25
2.2%
5.2%
Q1 25
2.1%
Q4 24
2.8%
2.2%
Q3 24
2.6%
Q2 24
2.5%
3.0%
Q1 24
1.9%
2.7%
Cash Conversion
GTES
GTES
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
5.26×
0.57×
Q3 25
1.20×
Q2 25
1.82×
2.67×
Q1 25
0.12×
Q4 24
5.22×
2.18×
Q3 24
2.43×
Q2 24
1.33×
2.00×
Q1 24
-0.53×
1.27×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

GTES
GTES

Power Transmission Segment$536.5M63%
Fluid Power Segment$319.7M37%

MSM
MSM

Segment breakdown not available.

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