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Side-by-side financial comparison of Howmet Aerospace (HWM) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.2B vs $2.2B, roughly 1.5× Howmet Aerospace). Vertex Pharmaceuticals runs the higher net margin — 37.3% vs 17.2%, a 20.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Howmet Aerospace posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (14.6% vs 9.5%). Howmet Aerospace produced more free cash flow last quarter ($530.0M vs $348.6M). Over the past eight quarters, Howmet Aerospace's revenue compounded faster (9.0% CAGR vs 8.9%).

Howmet Aerospace Inc. is an American aerospace company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company manufactures components for jet engines, fasteners, titanium structures for aerospace applications, and forged aluminum wheels for heavy trucks.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is an American biopharmaceutical company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was one of the first biotech firms to use an explicit strategy of rational drug design rather than combinatorial chemistry. It maintains headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, and three research facilities, in San Diego, California, and Milton Park, Oxfordshire, England.

HWM vs VRTX — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
VRTX
VRTX
1.5× larger
VRTX
$3.2B
$2.2B
HWM
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
HWM
HWM
+5.1% gap
HWM
14.6%
9.5%
VRTX
Higher net margin
VRTX
VRTX
20.2% more per $
VRTX
37.3%
17.2%
HWM
More free cash flow
HWM
HWM
$181.4M more FCF
HWM
$530.0M
$348.6M
VRTX
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
HWM
HWM
Annualised
HWM
9.0%
8.9%
VRTX

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Revenue
$2.2B
$3.2B
Net Profit
$372.0M
$1.2B
Gross Margin
85.4%
Operating Margin
22.6%
37.8%
Net Margin
17.2%
37.3%
Revenue YoY
14.6%
9.5%
Net Profit YoY
18.5%
30.5%
EPS (diluted)
$0.92
$4.64

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
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$2.2B
$3.2B
Q3 25
$2.1B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$2.1B
$3.0B
Q1 25
$1.9B
$2.8B
Q4 24
$1.9B
$2.9B
Q3 24
$1.8B
$2.8B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$2.6B
Q1 24
$1.8B
$2.7B
Net Profit
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$372.0M
$1.2B
Q3 25
$385.0M
$1.1B
Q2 25
$407.0M
$1.0B
Q1 25
$344.0M
$646.3M
Q4 24
$314.0M
$913.0M
Q3 24
$332.0M
$1.0B
Q2 24
$266.0M
$-3.6B
Q1 24
$243.0M
$1.1B
Gross Margin
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
85.4%
Q3 25
86.5%
Q2 25
86.3%
Q1 25
86.9%
Q4 24
85.5%
Q3 24
85.8%
Q2 24
85.9%
Q1 24
87.3%
Operating Margin
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
22.6%
37.8%
Q3 25
25.9%
38.6%
Q2 25
25.4%
38.8%
Q1 25
25.4%
22.7%
Q4 24
23.5%
35.2%
Q3 24
22.9%
40.3%
Q2 24
21.2%
-132.9%
Q1 24
20.2%
42.4%
Net Margin
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
17.2%
37.3%
Q3 25
18.4%
35.2%
Q2 25
19.8%
34.8%
Q1 25
17.7%
23.3%
Q4 24
16.6%
31.4%
Q3 24
18.1%
37.7%
Q2 24
14.1%
-135.8%
Q1 24
13.3%
40.9%
EPS (diluted)
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$0.92
$4.64
Q3 25
$0.95
$4.20
Q2 25
$1.00
$3.99
Q1 25
$0.84
$2.49
Q4 24
$0.76
$3.62
Q3 24
$0.81
$4.01
Q2 24
$0.65
$-13.92
Q1 24
$0.59
$4.21

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$742.0M
$6.6B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$3.0B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$5.4B
$18.7B
Total Assets
$11.2B
$25.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.57×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$742.0M
$6.6B
Q3 25
$659.0M
$6.3B
Q2 25
$545.0M
$6.4B
Q1 25
$536.0M
$6.2B
Q4 24
$564.0M
$6.1B
Q3 24
$475.0M
$6.5B
Q2 24
$752.0M
$5.8B
Q1 24
$533.0M
$10.2B
Total Debt
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$3.0B
Q3 25
$3.2B
Q2 25
$3.3B
Q1 25
$3.3B
Q4 24
$3.3B
Q3 24
$3.4B
Q2 24
$3.7B
Q1 24
$3.7B
Stockholders' Equity
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$5.4B
$18.7B
Q3 25
$5.1B
$17.3B
Q2 25
$5.0B
$17.2B
Q1 25
$4.8B
$16.5B
Q4 24
$4.6B
$16.4B
Q3 24
$4.5B
$15.6B
Q2 24
$4.3B
$14.8B
Q1 24
$4.1B
$18.5B
Total Assets
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$11.2B
$25.6B
Q3 25
$11.2B
$24.9B
Q2 25
$11.0B
$24.0B
Q1 25
$10.8B
$22.9B
Q4 24
$10.5B
$22.5B
Q3 24
$10.6B
$22.2B
Q2 24
$10.7B
$20.1B
Q1 24
$10.4B
$23.9B
Debt / Equity
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
0.57×
Q3 25
0.62×
Q2 25
0.65×
Q1 25
0.69×
Q4 24
0.73×
Q3 24
0.75×
Q2 24
0.86×
Q1 24
0.90×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$654.0M
$498.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$530.0M
$348.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
24.4%
10.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
5.7%
4.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.76×
0.42×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.4B
$3.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$654.0M
$498.0M
Q3 25
$531.0M
$1.2B
Q2 25
$446.0M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$253.0M
$818.9M
Q4 24
$480.0M
$584.6M
Q3 24
$244.0M
$1.4B
Q2 24
$397.0M
$-3.8B
Q1 24
$177.0M
$1.3B
Free Cash Flow
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
$530.0M
$348.6M
Q3 25
$423.0M
$1.1B
Q2 25
$344.0M
$927.4M
Q1 25
$134.0M
$778.2M
Q4 24
$378.0M
$492.0M
Q3 24
$162.0M
$1.3B
Q2 24
$342.0M
$-3.8B
Q1 24
$95.0M
$1.2B
FCF Margin
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
24.4%
10.9%
Q3 25
20.2%
37.0%
Q2 25
16.8%
31.3%
Q1 25
6.9%
28.1%
Q4 24
20.0%
16.9%
Q3 24
8.8%
47.0%
Q2 24
18.2%
-144.5%
Q1 24
5.2%
46.0%
Capex Intensity
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
5.7%
4.7%
Q3 25
5.2%
3.3%
Q2 25
5.0%
4.9%
Q1 25
6.1%
1.5%
Q4 24
5.4%
3.2%
Q3 24
4.5%
2.4%
Q2 24
2.9%
2.6%
Q1 24
4.5%
2.5%
Cash Conversion
HWM
HWM
VRTX
VRTX
Q4 25
1.76×
0.42×
Q3 25
1.38×
1.15×
Q2 25
1.10×
1.04×
Q1 25
0.74×
1.27×
Q4 24
1.53×
0.64×
Q3 24
0.73×
1.31×
Q2 24
1.49×
Q1 24
0.73×
1.19×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HWM
HWM

Engine Products Segment$1.2B54%
Fastening Systems$454.0M21%
Forged Wheels$264.0M12%
Aerospace Defense$236.0M11%
Commercial Transportation$46.0M2%

VRTX
VRTX

TRIKAFTAKAFTRIO$2.6B81%
ALYFTREK$380.1M12%
Manufactured Product Other$237.4M7%

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