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Side-by-side financial comparison of Hub Group, Inc. (HUBG) 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 $934.5M, roughly 1.0× Hub Group, Inc.). MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC runs the higher net margin — 5.4% vs 3.1%, a 2.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.0% vs -5.3%). Hub Group, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($19.4M vs $7.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Hub Group, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (-2.6% CAGR vs -3.4%).

Hub Group, Inc. is a transportation and logistics management company in North America. A publicly traded company with over $5 billion in revenue, Hub Group was founded in 1971 by Phillip Yeager, and is currently run by his grandson, Phillip D. Yeager. The company went public in 1996, and is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois.

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.

HUBG vs MSM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MSM
MSM
1.0× larger
MSM
$965.7M
$934.5M
HUBG
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MSM
MSM
+9.3% gap
MSM
4.0%
-5.3%
HUBG
Higher net margin
MSM
MSM
2.3% more per $
MSM
5.4%
3.1%
HUBG
More free cash flow
HUBG
HUBG
$12.0M more FCF
HUBG
$19.4M
$7.4M
MSM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
HUBG
HUBG
Annualised
HUBG
-2.6%
-3.4%
MSM

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Revenue
$934.5M
$965.7M
Net Profit
$28.6M
$51.8M
Gross Margin
40.7%
Operating Margin
4.2%
7.9%
Net Margin
3.1%
5.4%
Revenue YoY
-5.3%
4.0%
Net Profit YoY
21.0%
11.1%
EPS (diluted)
$0.47
$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
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$965.7M
Q3 25
$934.5M
$978.2M
Q2 25
$905.6M
$971.1M
Q1 25
$915.2M
Q4 24
$973.5M
$928.5M
Q3 24
$986.9M
Q2 24
$986.5M
$979.4M
Q1 24
$999.5M
$935.3M
Net Profit
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$51.8M
Q3 25
$28.6M
$56.5M
Q2 25
$25.2M
$56.8M
Q1 25
$26.8M
Q4 24
$24.3M
$46.6M
Q3 24
$23.6M
Q2 24
$29.0M
$71.7M
Q1 24
$27.1M
$61.8M
Gross Margin
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
40.7%
Q3 25
40.4%
Q2 25
41.0%
Q1 25
Q4 24
40.7%
Q3 24
Q2 24
40.9%
Q1 24
41.5%
Operating Margin
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
7.9%
Q3 25
4.2%
8.6%
Q2 25
3.8%
8.5%
Q1 25
4.1%
Q4 24
3.2%
7.8%
Q3 24
3.3%
Q2 24
4.0%
10.9%
Q1 24
3.7%
9.7%
Net Margin
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
5.4%
Q3 25
3.1%
5.8%
Q2 25
2.8%
5.9%
Q1 25
2.9%
Q4 24
2.5%
5.0%
Q3 24
2.4%
Q2 24
2.9%
7.3%
Q1 24
2.7%
6.6%
EPS (diluted)
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$0.93
Q3 25
$0.47
$1.02
Q2 25
$0.42
$1.02
Q1 25
$0.44
Q4 24
$0.40
$0.83
Q3 24
$0.39
Q2 24
$0.47
$1.27
Q1 24
$0.44
$1.10

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$119.7M
$40.3M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$255.0M
$214.1M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.7B
$1.4B
Total Assets
$2.9B
$2.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.15×
0.16×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$40.3M
Q3 25
$119.7M
$56.2M
Q2 25
$137.0M
$71.7M
Q1 25
$112.7M
Q4 24
$98.2M
$57.3M
Q3 24
$186.1M
Q2 24
$220.2M
$25.9M
Q1 24
$195.4M
$22.2M
Total Debt
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$214.1M
Q3 25
$255.0M
$168.8M
Q2 25
$231.9M
$285.0M
Q1 25
$252.1M
Q4 24
$264.4M
$289.9M
Q3 24
$287.1M
Q2 24
$313.1M
$299.8M
Q1 24
$334.8M
$294.5M
Stockholders' Equity
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$1.4B
Q3 25
$1.7B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$1.7B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$1.6B
Q4 24
$1.6B
$1.4B
Q3 24
$1.6B
Q2 24
$1.6B
$1.4B
Q1 24
$1.6B
$1.4B
Total Assets
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$2.5B
Q3 25
$2.9B
$2.5B
Q2 25
$2.8B
$2.5B
Q1 25
$2.8B
Q4 24
$2.9B
$2.5B
Q3 24
$2.8B
Q2 24
$2.9B
$2.5B
Q1 24
$2.9B
$2.5B
Debt / Equity
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
0.16×
Q3 25
0.15×
0.12×
Q2 25
0.14×
0.21×
Q1 25
0.15×
Q4 24
0.16×
0.21×
Q3 24
0.18×
Q2 24
0.19×
0.21×
Q1 24
0.21×
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
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$28.1M
$29.4M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$19.4M
$7.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
2.1%
0.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.9%
2.3%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.98×
0.57×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$113.4M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$29.4M
Q3 25
$28.1M
Q2 25
$61.5M
$151.6M
Q1 25
$70.0M
Q4 24
$604.0K
$101.9M
Q3 24
$43.4M
Q2 24
$69.9M
$143.5M
Q1 24
$80.5M
$78.7M
Free Cash Flow
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
$7.4M
Q3 25
$19.4M
Q2 25
$50.2M
$100.7M
Q1 25
$50.8M
Q4 24
$-7.0M
$81.7M
Q3 24
$31.4M
Q2 24
$56.2M
$114.0M
Q1 24
$63.0M
$53.4M
FCF Margin
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
0.8%
Q3 25
2.1%
Q2 25
5.5%
10.4%
Q1 25
5.6%
Q4 24
-0.7%
8.8%
Q3 24
3.2%
Q2 24
5.7%
11.6%
Q1 24
6.3%
5.7%
Capex Intensity
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
2.3%
Q3 25
0.9%
Q2 25
1.2%
5.2%
Q1 25
2.1%
Q4 24
0.8%
2.2%
Q3 24
1.2%
Q2 24
1.4%
3.0%
Q1 24
1.8%
2.7%
Cash Conversion
HUBG
HUBG
MSM
MSM
Q4 25
0.57×
Q3 25
0.98×
Q2 25
2.44×
2.67×
Q1 25
2.61×
Q4 24
0.02×
2.18×
Q3 24
1.84×
Q2 24
2.41×
2.00×
Q1 24
2.98×
1.27×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HUBG
HUBG

Intermodal$561.5M60%
Other$343.6M37%
Inter Segment$29.4M3%

MSM
MSM

Segment breakdown not available.

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