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Side-by-side financial comparison of International Paper (IP) and Waste Management (WM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Waste Management is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($6.2B vs $6.0B, roughly 1.0× International Paper). Waste Management runs the higher net margin — 11.6% vs 1.0%, a 10.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Waste Management posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (3.5% vs -0.6%). Waste Management produced more free cash flow last quarter ($981.0M vs $94.0M). Over the past eight quarters, International Paper's revenue compounded faster (12.3% CAGR vs 7.4%).

The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 39,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process and waste-related laws, technologies, and economic mechanisms.

IP vs WM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WM
WM
1.0× larger
WM
$6.2B
$6.0B
IP
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
WM
WM
+4.1% gap
WM
3.5%
-0.6%
IP
Higher net margin
WM
WM
10.6% more per $
WM
11.6%
1.0%
IP
More free cash flow
WM
WM
$887.0M more FCF
WM
$981.0M
$94.0M
IP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
IP
IP
Annualised
IP
12.3%
7.4%
WM

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
IP
IP
WM
WM
Revenue
$6.0B
$6.2B
Net Profit
$60.0M
$723.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
17.9%
Net Margin
1.0%
11.6%
Revenue YoY
-0.6%
3.5%
Net Profit YoY
157.1%
EPS (diluted)
$0.14
$1.79

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
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$6.0B
$6.2B
Q4 25
$4.7B
$6.3B
Q3 25
$6.2B
$6.4B
Q2 25
$6.8B
$6.4B
Q1 25
$5.9B
$6.0B
Q4 24
$4.6B
$5.9B
Q3 24
$4.7B
$5.6B
Q2 24
$4.7B
$5.4B
Net Profit
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$60.0M
$723.0M
Q4 25
$-2.4B
$742.0M
Q3 25
$-1.1B
$603.0M
Q2 25
$75.0M
$726.0M
Q1 25
$-105.0M
$637.0M
Q4 24
$-147.0M
$598.0M
Q3 24
$150.0M
$760.0M
Q2 24
$498.0M
$680.0M
Gross Margin
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
Q4 25
32.2%
41.5%
Q3 25
31.1%
40.5%
Q2 25
27.9%
40.3%
Q1 25
27.8%
39.4%
Q4 24
29.0%
39.7%
Q3 24
28.7%
39.4%
Q2 24
29.0%
39.1%
Operating Margin
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
17.9%
Q4 25
-56.4%
18.3%
Q3 25
-10.8%
15.3%
Q2 25
1.7%
17.9%
Q1 25
-2.3%
16.8%
Q4 24
-4.9%
15.6%
Q3 24
5.1%
20.0%
Q2 24
6.8%
18.7%
Net Margin
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
1.0%
11.6%
Q4 25
-50.3%
11.8%
Q3 25
-17.7%
9.4%
Q2 25
1.1%
11.3%
Q1 25
-1.8%
10.6%
Q4 24
-3.2%
10.1%
Q3 24
3.2%
13.5%
Q2 24
10.5%
12.6%
EPS (diluted)
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$0.14
$1.79
Q4 25
$-4.76
$1.83
Q3 25
$-2.09
$1.49
Q2 25
$0.14
$1.80
Q1 25
$-0.24
$1.58
Q4 24
$-0.42
$1.49
Q3 24
$0.42
$1.88
Q2 24
$1.41
$1.69

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
IP
IP
WM
WM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$158.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$8.2B
$22.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$14.8B
$10.0B
Total Assets
$36.4B
$45.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.55×
2.28×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$158.0M
Q4 25
$1.1B
$201.0M
Q3 25
$995.0M
$175.0M
Q2 25
$1.1B
$440.0M
Q1 25
$1.2B
$216.0M
Q4 24
$1.2B
$414.0M
Q3 24
$1.2B
$614.0M
Q2 24
$1.0B
$172.0M
Total Debt
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$8.2B
$22.9B
Q4 25
$8.8B
$22.2B
Q3 25
$9.0B
$22.5B
Q2 25
$9.7B
$23.1B
Q1 25
$9.2B
$22.9B
Q4 24
$5.4B
$22.5B
Q3 24
$5.3B
$16.0B
Q2 24
$5.3B
$16.5B
Stockholders' Equity
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$14.8B
$10.0B
Q4 25
$14.8B
$10.0B
Q3 25
$17.3B
$9.5B
Q2 25
$18.6B
$9.2B
Q1 25
$18.1B
$8.7B
Q4 24
$8.2B
$8.3B
Q3 24
$8.6B
$8.0B
Q2 24
$8.6B
$7.5B
Total Assets
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$36.4B
$45.7B
Q4 25
$38.0B
$45.8B
Q3 25
$40.6B
$45.6B
Q2 25
$42.4B
$45.7B
Q1 25
$41.2B
$44.5B
Q4 24
$22.8B
$44.6B
Q3 24
$23.2B
$34.7B
Q2 24
$23.1B
$34.0B
Debt / Equity
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
0.55×
2.28×
Q4 25
0.60×
2.22×
Q3 25
0.52×
2.36×
Q2 25
0.52×
2.51×
Q1 25
0.51×
2.65×
Q4 24
0.66×
2.73×
Q3 24
0.62×
2.00×
Q2 24
0.62×
2.21×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
IP
IP
WM
WM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.5B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$94.0M
$981.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
1.6%
15.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
8.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.08×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$553.0M
$3.4B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$1.5B
Q4 25
$905.0M
$1.7B
Q3 25
$605.0M
$1.6B
Q2 25
$476.0M
$1.5B
Q1 25
$-288.0M
$1.2B
Q4 24
$397.0M
$1.5B
Q3 24
$521.0M
$1.4B
Q2 24
$365.0M
$1.2B
Free Cash Flow
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
$94.0M
$981.0M
Q4 25
$255.0M
$810.0M
Q3 25
$150.0M
$816.0M
Q2 25
$54.0M
$813.0M
Q1 25
$-618.0M
$377.0M
Q4 24
$137.0M
$396.0M
Q3 24
$309.0M
$577.0M
Q2 24
$167.0M
$487.0M
FCF Margin
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
1.6%
15.8%
Q4 25
5.4%
12.8%
Q3 25
2.4%
12.7%
Q2 25
0.8%
12.6%
Q1 25
-10.5%
6.3%
Q4 24
3.0%
6.7%
Q3 24
6.6%
10.3%
Q2 24
3.5%
9.0%
Capex Intensity
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
8.7%
Q4 25
13.7%
14.1%
Q3 25
7.3%
12.0%
Q2 25
6.2%
11.4%
Q1 25
5.6%
13.8%
Q4 24
5.7%
18.9%
Q3 24
4.5%
13.9%
Q2 24
4.2%
12.3%
Cash Conversion
IP
IP
WM
WM
Q1 26
2.08×
Q4 25
2.29×
Q3 25
2.64×
Q2 25
6.35×
2.13×
Q1 25
1.90×
Q4 24
2.53×
Q3 24
3.47×
1.79×
Q2 24
0.73×
1.70×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

IP
IP

Packaging Solutions North America$3.6B61%
Packaging Solutions EMEA$2.3B39%
Corporate and Inter-segment Sales$22.0M0%

WM
WM

Segment breakdown not available.

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