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Side-by-side financial comparison of ICON PLC (ICLR) and NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP (NRC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

ICON PLC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($2.0B vs $35.2M, roughly 58.0× NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP). NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP runs the higher net margin — 5.1% vs 0.1%, a 5.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ICON PLC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (0.6% vs -4.6%). ICON PLC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($333.9M vs $6.1M). Over the past eight quarters, ICON PLC's revenue compounded faster (0.6% CAGR vs -0.2%).

ICON plc is an Irish headquartered multinational healthcare intelligence and clinical research organisation. As of February 2025 had approximately 41,900 employees in 55 countries.

National Research Corporation, doing business as NRC Health, is an American healthcare company which provides healthcare products and subscription-based solutions in United States and Canada. It was founded in 1981, and is based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

ICLR vs NRC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
ICLR
ICLR
58.0× larger
ICLR
$2.0B
$35.2M
NRC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ICLR
ICLR
+5.3% gap
ICLR
0.6%
-4.6%
NRC
Higher net margin
NRC
NRC
5.0% more per $
NRC
5.1%
0.1%
ICLR
More free cash flow
ICLR
ICLR
$327.8M more FCF
ICLR
$333.9M
$6.1M
NRC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ICLR
ICLR
Annualised
ICLR
0.6%
-0.2%
NRC

Income Statement — Q3 2025 vs Q4 2025

Metric
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Revenue
$2.0B
$35.2M
Net Profit
$2.4M
$1.8M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
4.2%
13.3%
Net Margin
0.1%
5.1%
Revenue YoY
0.6%
-4.6%
Net Profit YoY
-98.8%
-72.6%
EPS (diluted)
$0.03
$49.58

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
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
$35.2M
Q3 25
$2.0B
$34.6M
Q2 25
$2.0B
$34.0M
Q1 25
$2.0B
$33.6M
Q4 24
$36.9M
Q3 24
$2.0B
$35.8M
Q2 24
$2.1B
$35.0M
Q1 24
$2.1B
$35.3M
Net Profit
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
$1.8M
Q3 25
$2.4M
$4.1M
Q2 25
$183.0M
$-106.0K
Q1 25
$154.2M
$5.8M
Q4 24
$6.6M
Q3 24
$197.1M
$5.7M
Q2 24
$146.9M
$6.2M
Q1 24
$187.4M
$6.4M
Operating Margin
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
13.3%
Q3 25
4.2%
22.4%
Q2 25
10.4%
4.7%
Q1 25
11.0%
25.6%
Q4 24
26.0%
Q3 24
14.1%
22.3%
Q2 24
10.8%
25.3%
Q1 24
13.7%
24.8%
Net Margin
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
5.1%
Q3 25
0.1%
11.9%
Q2 25
9.1%
-0.3%
Q1 25
7.7%
17.2%
Q4 24
17.8%
Q3 24
9.7%
15.9%
Q2 24
6.9%
17.6%
Q1 24
9.0%
18.0%
EPS (diluted)
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
$49.58
Q3 25
$0.03
$0.18
Q2 25
$2.30
$-0.01
Q1 25
$1.90
$0.25
Q4 24
$0.27
Q3 24
$2.36
$0.24
Q2 24
$1.76
$0.26
Q1 24
$2.25
$0.27

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$468.9M
$4.1M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$9.3B
$14.0M
Total Assets
$16.5B
$134.9M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
$4.1M
Q3 25
$468.9M
$2.2M
Q2 25
$390.4M
$5.3M
Q1 25
$526.7M
$2.5M
Q4 24
$4.2M
Q3 24
$695.5M
$3.5M
Q2 24
$506.6M
$485.0K
Q1 24
$396.1M
$1.7M
Total Debt
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
$48.7M
Q2 24
$33.3M
Q1 24
$35.2M
Stockholders' Equity
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
$14.0M
Q3 25
$9.3B
$14.3M
Q2 25
$9.6B
$21.3M
Q1 25
$9.5B
$29.7M
Q4 24
$31.3M
Q3 24
$9.8B
$34.6M
Q2 24
$9.6B
$40.2M
Q1 24
$9.4B
$36.9M
Total Assets
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
$134.9M
Q3 25
$16.5B
$135.7M
Q2 25
$16.6B
$141.4M
Q1 25
$16.7B
$135.2M
Q4 24
$132.5M
Q3 24
$17.2B
$131.8M
Q2 24
$17.0B
$119.1M
Q1 24
$17.0B
$120.9M
Debt / Equity
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
1.41×
Q2 24
0.83×
Q1 24
0.95×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$387.6M
$7.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$333.9M
$6.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.3%
17.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
3.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
164.59×
3.99×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.0B
$15.7M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
$7.2M
Q3 25
$387.6M
$13.8M
Q2 25
$146.2M
$-1.1M
Q1 25
$268.2M
$6.6M
Q4 24
$6.4M
Q3 24
$402.7M
$9.4M
Q2 24
$218.6M
$6.8M
Q1 24
$327.1M
$12.0M
Free Cash Flow
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
$6.1M
Q3 25
$333.9M
$10.2M
Q2 25
$113.9M
$-4.1M
Q1 25
$239.3M
$3.7M
Q4 24
$1.9M
Q3 24
$359.3M
$7.8M
Q2 24
$182.3M
$1.5M
Q1 24
$299.9M
$7.9M
FCF Margin
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
17.2%
Q3 25
16.3%
29.4%
Q2 25
5.6%
-12.2%
Q1 25
12.0%
10.9%
Q4 24
5.2%
Q3 24
17.7%
21.8%
Q2 24
8.6%
4.3%
Q1 24
14.3%
22.4%
Capex Intensity
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
3.2%
Q3 25
2.6%
10.4%
Q2 25
1.6%
8.8%
Q1 25
1.4%
8.9%
Q4 24
12.0%
Q3 24
2.1%
4.5%
Q2 24
1.7%
15.0%
Q1 24
1.3%
11.7%
Cash Conversion
ICLR
ICLR
NRC
NRC
Q4 25
3.99×
Q3 25
164.59×
3.34×
Q2 25
0.80×
Q1 25
1.74×
1.15×
Q4 24
0.97×
Q3 24
2.04×
1.66×
Q2 24
1.49×
1.10×
Q1 24
1.74×
1.89×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ICLR
ICLR

Other Customers$681.3M33%
Clients1125$549.4M27%
Clients15$503.3M25%
Clients610$308.8M15%

NRC
NRC

Segment breakdown not available.

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