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

Microsoft is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($81.3B vs $15.9B, roughly 5.1× IBM). Microsoft runs the higher net margin — 47.3% vs 7.6%, a 39.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Microsoft posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (16.7% vs 9.5%). Microsoft produced more free cash flow last quarter ($5.9B vs $2.2B). Over the past eight quarters, Microsoft's revenue compounded faster (14.6% CAGR vs 0.5%).

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.

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the rise of personal computers through software like Windows, and has since expanded to Internet services, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, video gaming, and other fields.

IBM vs MSFT — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MSFT
MSFT
5.1× larger
MSFT
$81.3B
$15.9B
IBM
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MSFT
MSFT
+7.3% gap
MSFT
16.7%
9.5%
IBM
Higher net margin
MSFT
MSFT
39.7% more per $
MSFT
47.3%
7.6%
IBM
More free cash flow
MSFT
MSFT
$3.7B more FCF
MSFT
$5.9B
$2.2B
IBM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MSFT
MSFT
Annualised
MSFT
14.6%
0.5%
IBM

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q2 FY2026

Metric
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Revenue
$15.9B
$81.3B
Net Profit
$1.2B
$38.5B
Gross Margin
56.2%
68.0%
Operating Margin
47.1%
Net Margin
7.6%
47.3%
Revenue YoY
9.5%
16.7%
Net Profit YoY
15.3%
59.5%
EPS (diluted)
$1.28
$5.16

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
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$15.9B
Q4 25
$19.7B
$81.3B
Q3 25
$16.3B
$77.7B
Q2 25
$17.0B
$76.4B
Q1 25
$14.5B
$70.1B
Q4 24
$17.6B
$69.6B
Q3 24
$15.0B
$65.6B
Q2 24
$15.8B
$64.7B
Net Profit
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$1.2B
Q4 25
$5.6B
$38.5B
Q3 25
$1.7B
$27.7B
Q2 25
$2.2B
$27.2B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$25.8B
Q4 24
$2.9B
$24.1B
Q3 24
$-330.0M
$24.7B
Q2 24
$1.8B
$22.0B
Gross Margin
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
56.2%
Q4 25
60.6%
68.0%
Q3 25
57.3%
69.0%
Q2 25
58.8%
68.6%
Q1 25
55.2%
68.7%
Q4 24
59.5%
68.7%
Q3 24
56.3%
69.4%
Q2 24
56.8%
69.6%
Operating Margin
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
Q4 25
21.0%
47.1%
Q3 25
14.9%
48.9%
Q2 25
15.3%
44.9%
Q1 25
8.0%
45.7%
Q4 24
18.8%
45.5%
Q3 24
-5.4%
46.6%
Q2 24
14.1%
43.1%
Net Margin
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
7.6%
Q4 25
28.4%
47.3%
Q3 25
10.7%
35.7%
Q2 25
12.9%
35.6%
Q1 25
7.3%
36.9%
Q4 24
16.6%
34.6%
Q3 24
-2.2%
37.6%
Q2 24
11.6%
34.0%
EPS (diluted)
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$1.28
Q4 25
$5.90
$5.16
Q3 25
$1.84
$3.72
Q2 25
$2.31
$3.65
Q1 25
$1.12
$3.46
Q4 24
$3.11
$3.23
Q3 24
$-0.36
$3.30
Q2 24
$1.96
$2.94

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$10.8B
$89.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$66.4B
$40.3B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$33.1B
$390.9B
Total Assets
$156.2B
$665.3B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
2.01×
0.10×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$10.8B
Q4 25
$13.6B
$89.5B
Q3 25
$11.6B
$102.0B
Q2 25
$11.9B
$94.6B
Q1 25
$11.0B
$79.6B
Q4 24
$13.9B
$71.6B
Q3 24
$13.2B
$78.4B
Q2 24
$12.2B
$75.5B
Total Debt
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$66.4B
Q4 25
$54.8B
$40.3B
Q3 25
$55.2B
$43.2B
Q2 25
$55.2B
$43.2B
Q1 25
$56.4B
$42.9B
Q4 24
$49.9B
$45.0B
Q3 24
$53.0B
$45.1B
Q2 24
$52.9B
$44.9B
Stockholders' Equity
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$33.1B
Q4 25
$32.6B
$390.9B
Q3 25
$27.9B
$363.1B
Q2 25
$27.5B
$343.5B
Q1 25
$26.9B
$321.9B
Q4 24
$27.3B
$302.7B
Q3 24
$24.4B
$287.7B
Q2 24
$24.0B
$268.5B
Total Assets
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$156.2B
Q4 25
$151.9B
$665.3B
Q3 25
$146.3B
$636.4B
Q2 25
$148.6B
$619.0B
Q1 25
$145.7B
$562.6B
Q4 24
$137.2B
$533.9B
Q3 24
$134.3B
$523.0B
Q2 24
$133.8B
$512.2B
Debt / Equity
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
2.01×
Q4 25
1.68×
0.10×
Q3 25
1.98×
0.12×
Q2 25
2.01×
0.13×
Q1 25
2.10×
0.13×
Q4 24
1.83×
0.15×
Q3 24
2.17×
0.16×
Q2 24
2.20×
0.17×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$5.2B
$35.8B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$2.2B
$5.9B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
13.9%
7.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.4%
36.8%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
4.25×
0.93×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$10.2B
$77.4B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$5.2B
Q4 25
$4.0B
$35.8B
Q3 25
$3.1B
$45.1B
Q2 25
$1.7B
$42.6B
Q1 25
$4.4B
$37.0B
Q4 24
$4.3B
$22.3B
Q3 24
$2.9B
$34.2B
Q2 24
$2.1B
$37.2B
Free Cash Flow
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
$2.2B
Q4 25
$3.7B
$5.9B
Q3 25
$2.8B
$25.7B
Q2 25
$1.5B
$25.6B
Q1 25
$4.1B
$20.3B
Q4 24
$4.0B
$6.5B
Q3 24
$2.6B
$19.3B
Q2 24
$1.8B
$23.3B
FCF Margin
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
13.9%
Q4 25
18.6%
7.2%
Q3 25
17.3%
33.0%
Q2 25
8.8%
33.4%
Q1 25
28.4%
29.0%
Q4 24
22.9%
9.3%
Q3 24
17.3%
29.4%
Q2 24
11.7%
36.0%
Capex Intensity
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
2.4%
Q4 25
1.9%
36.8%
Q3 25
1.6%
25.0%
Q2 25
1.2%
22.3%
Q1 25
1.7%
23.9%
Q4 24
1.7%
22.7%
Q3 24
1.9%
22.8%
Q2 24
1.4%
21.4%
Cash Conversion
IBM
IBM
MSFT
MSFT
Q1 26
4.25×
Q4 25
0.72×
0.93×
Q3 25
1.77×
1.62×
Q2 25
0.78×
1.57×
Q1 25
4.14×
1.43×
Q4 24
1.49×
0.92×
Q3 24
1.39×
Q2 24
1.13×
1.69×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

IBM
IBM

Software$7.1B44%
Consulting$5.3B33%
Infrastructure$3.3B21%
Financing$220.0M1%

MSFT
MSFT

Microsoft Three Six Five Commercial Products And Cloud Services$24.5B30%
Products$16.5B20%
More Personal Computing$14.3B18%
Gaming$6.0B7%
Linked In Corporation$5.1B6%
Windows And Devices$4.5B6%
Search And News Advertising$3.8B5%
Microsoft Three Six Five Consumer Products And Cloud Services$2.3B3%
Dynamics Products And Cloud Services$2.2B3%
Enterprise And Partner Services$2.0B3%
Other Products And Services$6.0M0%

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