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Side-by-side financial comparison of HERC HOLDINGS INC (HRI) and Waters Corporation (WAT). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

HERC HOLDINGS INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.1B vs $932.4M, roughly 1.2× Waters Corporation). Waters Corporation runs the higher net margin — 24.2% vs -2.1%, a 26.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, HERC HOLDINGS INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (32.3% vs 6.8%). Over the past eight quarters, HERC HOLDINGS INC's revenue compounded faster (1343.1% CAGR vs 21.0%).

Herc Holdings Inc. is a leading North American equipment rental service provider. It offers rental assets including heavy construction machinery, power tools, temporary power and climate control systems, serving clients across construction, industrial, events, infrastructure and government segments, with operations across the U.S. and Canada.

Waters Corporation is an American company headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts that provides analytical instruments and software used for chromatography, mass spectrometry, laboratory informatics, and rheometry by the life sciences, materials, and food industries.

HRI vs WAT — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
HRI
HRI
1.2× larger
HRI
$1.1B
$932.4M
WAT
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
HRI
HRI
+25.5% gap
HRI
32.3%
6.8%
WAT
Higher net margin
WAT
WAT
26.3% more per $
WAT
24.2%
-2.1%
HRI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
HRI
HRI
Annualised
HRI
1343.1%
21.0%
WAT

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Revenue
$1.1B
$932.4M
Net Profit
$-24.0M
$225.2M
Gross Margin
61.1%
Operating Margin
29.0%
Net Margin
-2.1%
24.2%
Revenue YoY
32.3%
6.8%
Net Profit YoY
-33.3%
-2.7%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.72
$3.76

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.

Revenue
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$1.1B
Q4 25
$30.1M
$932.4M
Q3 25
$10.1M
$799.9M
Q2 25
$6.3M
$771.3M
Q1 25
$4.2M
$661.7M
Q4 24
$4.1M
$872.7M
Q3 24
$740.3M
Q2 24
$708.5M
Net Profit
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$-24.0M
Q4 25
$-99.9M
$225.2M
Q3 25
$-7.5M
$148.9M
Q2 25
$-10.8M
$147.1M
Q1 25
$-14.1M
$121.4M
Q4 24
$-10.3M
$231.4M
Q3 24
$161.5M
Q2 24
$142.7M
Gross Margin
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
42.3%
61.1%
Q3 25
25.8%
59.0%
Q2 25
53.1%
58.3%
Q1 25
35.0%
58.2%
Q4 24
21.4%
60.1%
Q3 24
59.3%
Q2 24
59.3%
Operating Margin
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
-77.4%
29.0%
Q3 25
-153.5%
24.0%
Q2 25
-147.4%
24.4%
Q1 25
-242.7%
22.9%
Q4 24
-206.3%
33.5%
Q3 24
28.5%
Q2 24
26.7%
Net Margin
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
-2.1%
Q4 25
-331.7%
24.2%
Q3 25
-74.1%
18.6%
Q2 25
-171.4%
19.1%
Q1 25
-332.8%
18.3%
Q4 24
-250.3%
26.5%
Q3 24
21.8%
Q2 24
20.1%
EPS (diluted)
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$-0.72
Q4 25
$-0.36
$3.76
Q3 25
$-0.03
$2.50
Q2 25
$-0.08
$2.47
Q1 25
$-0.15
$2.03
Q4 24
$-0.15
$3.88
Q3 24
$2.71
Q2 24
$2.40

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$43.0M
$587.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.9B
$2.6B
Total Assets
$13.6B
$5.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.55×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$43.0M
Q4 25
$550.7M
$587.8M
Q3 25
$432.8M
$459.1M
Q2 25
$67.6M
$367.2M
Q1 25
$382.9M
Q4 24
$30.0M
$325.4M
Q3 24
$331.5M
Q2 24
$327.4M
Total Debt
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.4B
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
$300.0K
$1.6B
Q3 24
Q2 24
Stockholders' Equity
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$1.9B
Q4 25
$437.8M
$2.6B
Q3 25
$486.1M
$2.3B
Q2 25
$90.8M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$26.1M
$2.0B
Q4 24
$16.6M
$1.8B
Q3 24
$1.6B
Q2 24
$1.4B
Total Assets
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$13.6B
Q4 25
$1.1B
$5.1B
Q3 25
$550.2M
$4.9B
Q2 25
$152.0M
$4.7B
Q1 25
$104.6M
$4.6B
Q4 24
$109.6M
$4.6B
Q3 24
$4.5B
Q2 24
$4.4B
Debt / Equity
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.55×
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.02×
0.89×
Q3 24
Q2 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$277.0M
$164.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$94.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
8.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
13.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.73×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$60.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$277.0M
Q4 25
$-12.7M
$164.6M
Q3 25
$-11.0M
$187.3M
Q2 25
$-8.4M
$41.1M
Q1 25
$-6.7M
$259.6M
Q4 24
$-8.1M
$240.1M
Q3 24
$204.6M
Q2 24
$54.5M
Free Cash Flow
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$94.0M
Q4 25
$-14.3M
Q3 25
$-11.1M
Q2 25
$-8.5M
Q1 25
$-6.8M
Q4 24
$-8.1M
Q3 24
Q2 24
FCF Margin
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
8.3%
Q4 25
-47.6%
Q3 25
-110.2%
Q2 25
-135.5%
Q1 25
-160.8%
Q4 24
-197.1%
Q3 24
Q2 24
Capex Intensity
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
13.6%
Q4 25
5.3%
Q3 25
1.7%
Q2 25
1.5%
Q1 25
4.0%
Q4 24
0.7%
Q3 24
Q2 24
Cash Conversion
HRI
HRI
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.73×
Q3 25
1.26×
Q2 25
0.28×
Q1 25
2.14×
Q4 24
1.04×
Q3 24
1.27×
Q2 24
0.38×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HRI
HRI

Equipment rental$981.0M86%
Sales of rental equipment$138.0M12%
Sales of new equipment, parts and supplies$13.0M1%
Service and other revenue$7.0M1%

WAT
WAT

Segment breakdown not available.

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