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Side-by-side financial comparison of HSBC HOLDINGS PLC (HSBC) and IBM (IBM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

HSBC HOLDINGS PLC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($28.6B vs $15.9B, roughly 1.8× IBM). HSBC HOLDINGS PLC runs the higher net margin — 25.7% vs 7.6%, a 18.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. HSBC HOLDINGS PLC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($64.0B vs $2.2B).

HSBC Holdings plc is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business links to East Asia and a multinational footprint. It is the largest Europe-based bank by total assets, ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$3.098 trillion as of September 2024. This also puts it as the 7th largest bank in the world by total assets behind Bank of America, and the 3rd largest non-state owned bank in the world.

International Business Machines Corporation, doing business as IBM, is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is a publicly traded company and one of the 30 companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. IBM is the largest industrial research organization in the world, with 19 research facilities across a dozen countries; for 29 consecutive years, from 1993 to 2021, it held the record for most annual U.S.

HSBC vs IBM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
HSBC
HSBC
1.8× larger
HSBC
$28.6B
$15.9B
IBM
Higher net margin
HSBC
HSBC
18.0% more per $
HSBC
25.7%
7.6%
IBM
More free cash flow
HSBC
HSBC
$61.7B more FCF
HSBC
$64.0B
$2.2B
IBM

Income Statement — Q4 FY2024 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Revenue
$28.6B
$15.9B
Net Profit
$7.3B
$1.2B
Gross Margin
56.3%
Operating Margin
33.1%
Net Margin
25.7%
7.6%
Revenue YoY
9.7%
Net Profit YoY
15.3%
EPS (diluted)
$0.36
$1.28

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
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$15.9B
Q4 25
$19.7B
Q3 25
$16.3B
Q2 25
$17.0B
Q1 25
$28.6B
$14.5B
Q4 24
$17.6B
Q3 24
$15.0B
Q2 24
$15.8B
Net Profit
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$1.2B
Q4 25
$5.6B
Q3 25
$1.7B
Q2 25
$2.2B
Q1 25
$7.3B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$2.9B
Q3 24
$-330.0M
Q2 24
$1.8B
Gross Margin
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
56.3%
Q4 25
60.6%
Q3 25
57.3%
Q2 25
58.8%
Q1 25
55.2%
Q4 24
59.5%
Q3 24
56.3%
Q2 24
56.8%
Operating Margin
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
Q4 25
21.0%
Q3 25
14.9%
Q2 25
15.3%
Q1 25
33.1%
8.0%
Q4 24
18.8%
Q3 24
-5.4%
Q2 24
14.1%
Net Margin
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
7.6%
Q4 25
28.4%
Q3 25
10.7%
Q2 25
12.9%
Q1 25
25.7%
7.3%
Q4 24
16.6%
Q3 24
-2.2%
Q2 24
11.6%
EPS (diluted)
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$1.28
Q4 25
$5.90
Q3 25
$1.84
Q2 25
$2.31
Q1 25
$0.36
$1.12
Q4 24
$3.11
Q3 24
$-0.36
Q2 24
$1.96

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$434.9B
$10.8B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$66.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$192.3B
$33.1B
Total Assets
$3017.0B
$156.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
2.01×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$10.8B
Q4 25
$13.6B
Q3 25
$11.6B
Q2 25
$11.9B
Q1 25
$434.9B
$11.0B
Q4 24
$13.9B
Q3 24
$13.2B
Q2 24
$12.2B
Total Debt
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$66.4B
Q4 25
$54.8B
Q3 25
$55.2B
Q2 25
$55.2B
Q1 25
$56.4B
Q4 24
$49.9B
Q3 24
$53.0B
Q2 24
$52.9B
Stockholders' Equity
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$33.1B
Q4 25
$32.6B
Q3 25
$27.9B
Q2 25
$27.5B
Q1 25
$192.3B
$26.9B
Q4 24
$27.3B
Q3 24
$24.4B
Q2 24
$24.0B
Total Assets
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$156.2B
Q4 25
$151.9B
Q3 25
$146.3B
Q2 25
$148.6B
Q1 25
$3017.0B
$145.7B
Q4 24
$137.2B
Q3 24
$134.3B
Q2 24
$133.8B
Debt / Equity
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
2.01×
Q4 25
1.68×
Q3 25
1.98×
Q2 25
2.01×
Q1 25
2.10×
Q4 24
1.83×
Q3 24
2.17×
Q2 24
2.20×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$65.3B
$5.2B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$64.0B
$2.2B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
223.9%
14.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
4.7%
2.4%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
8.90×
4.25×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$10.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$5.2B
Q4 25
$4.0B
Q3 25
$3.1B
Q2 25
$1.7B
Q1 25
$65.3B
$4.4B
Q4 24
$4.3B
Q3 24
$2.9B
Q2 24
$2.1B
Free Cash Flow
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
$2.2B
Q4 25
$3.7B
Q3 25
$2.8B
Q2 25
$1.5B
Q1 25
$64.0B
$4.1B
Q4 24
$4.0B
Q3 24
$2.6B
Q2 24
$1.8B
FCF Margin
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
14.0%
Q4 25
18.6%
Q3 25
17.3%
Q2 25
8.8%
Q1 25
223.9%
28.4%
Q4 24
22.9%
Q3 24
17.3%
Q2 24
11.7%
Capex Intensity
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
2.4%
Q4 25
1.9%
Q3 25
1.6%
Q2 25
1.2%
Q1 25
4.7%
1.7%
Q4 24
1.7%
Q3 24
1.9%
Q2 24
1.4%
Cash Conversion
HSBC
HSBC
IBM
IBM
Q1 26
4.25×
Q4 25
0.72×
Q3 25
1.77×
Q2 25
0.78×
Q1 25
8.90×
4.14×
Q4 24
1.49×
Q3 24
Q2 24
1.13×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HSBC
HSBC

Segment breakdown not available.

IBM
IBM

Software$7.1B45%
Consulting$5.3B33%
Infrastructure$3.3B21%
Financing$200.0M1%

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