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Side-by-side financial comparison of KIRBY CORP (KEX) and Steris (STE). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Steris is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.5B vs $844.1M, roughly 1.8× KIRBY CORP). Steris runs the higher net margin — 12.9% vs 9.6%, a 3.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Steris posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.2% vs 7.4%). Steris produced more free cash flow last quarter ($199.5M vs $49.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Steris's revenue compounded faster (15.8% CAGR vs 1.2%).

Kirby Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is the largest tank barge operator in the United States, transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, along all three U.S. Coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii. Products transported by Kirby include petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemical products by tank barge. Kirby also owns and operates eight ocean-going barge and tug units transporting ...

Steris plc is an American-Irish-based medical equipment company specializing in sterilization and surgical products for the US healthcare system. Steris is operationally headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, and has been legally registered in Dublin, Ireland, for tax purposes since 2018. Previously the company was registered in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2018.

KEX vs STE — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
STE
STE
1.8× larger
STE
$1.5B
$844.1M
KEX
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STE
STE
+1.7% gap
STE
9.2%
7.4%
KEX
Higher net margin
STE
STE
3.3% more per $
STE
12.9%
9.6%
KEX
More free cash flow
STE
STE
$150.1M more FCF
STE
$199.5M
$49.4M
KEX
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STE
STE
Annualised
STE
15.8%
1.2%
KEX

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Revenue
$844.1M
$1.5B
Net Profit
$81.3M
$192.9M
Gross Margin
43.8%
Operating Margin
12.8%
18.3%
Net Margin
9.6%
12.9%
Revenue YoY
7.4%
9.2%
Net Profit YoY
6.6%
11.2%
EPS (diluted)
$1.50
$1.96

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
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
$844.1M
Q4 25
$851.8M
$1.5B
Q3 25
$871.2M
$1.5B
Q2 25
$855.5M
$1.4B
Q1 25
$785.7M
$1.5B
Q4 24
$802.3M
$1.4B
Q3 24
$831.1M
$1.3B
Q2 24
$824.4M
$1.3B
Net Profit
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
$81.3M
Q4 25
$91.8M
$192.9M
Q3 25
$92.5M
$191.9M
Q2 25
$94.3M
$177.4M
Q1 25
$76.0M
$145.7M
Q4 24
$42.8M
$173.5M
Q3 24
$90.0M
$150.0M
Q2 24
$83.9M
$145.4M
Gross Margin
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
Q4 25
43.8%
Q3 25
44.2%
Q2 25
45.1%
Q1 25
43.3%
Q4 24
44.5%
Q3 24
43.6%
Q2 24
44.7%
Operating Margin
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
12.8%
Q4 25
15.2%
18.3%
Q3 25
14.8%
18.2%
Q2 25
15.4%
17.7%
Q1 25
13.4%
14.6%
Q4 24
6.3%
17.9%
Q3 24
15.3%
16.5%
Q2 24
14.6%
14.5%
Net Margin
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
9.6%
Q4 25
10.8%
12.9%
Q3 25
10.6%
13.1%
Q2 25
11.0%
12.8%
Q1 25
9.7%
9.8%
Q4 24
5.3%
12.7%
Q3 24
10.8%
11.3%
Q2 24
10.2%
11.4%
EPS (diluted)
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
$1.50
Q4 25
$1.68
$1.96
Q3 25
$1.65
$1.94
Q2 25
$1.67
$1.79
Q1 25
$1.33
$1.48
Q4 24
$0.74
$1.75
Q3 24
$1.55
$1.51
Q2 24
$1.43
$1.46

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$58.0M
$423.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$3.4B
$7.2B
Total Assets
$10.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.27×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
$58.0M
Q4 25
$78.8M
$423.7M
Q3 25
$47.0M
$319.2M
Q2 25
$68.4M
$279.7M
Q1 25
$51.1M
$171.7M
Q4 24
$74.4M
$155.2M
Q3 24
$67.1M
$172.2M
Q2 24
$53.5M
$198.3M
Total Debt
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
Q4 25
$919.3M
$1.9B
Q3 25
$1.0B
$1.9B
Q2 25
$1.1B
$1.9B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$1.9B
Q4 24
$874.9M
$2.0B
Q3 24
$978.6M
$2.2B
Q2 24
$1.0B
$2.2B
Stockholders' Equity
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
$3.4B
Q4 25
$3.4B
$7.2B
Q3 25
$3.4B
$7.0B
Q2 25
$3.4B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$3.3B
$6.6B
Q4 24
$3.4B
$6.4B
Q3 24
$3.3B
$6.6B
Q2 24
$3.3B
$6.4B
Total Assets
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
Q4 25
$6.0B
$10.6B
Q3 25
$6.1B
$10.4B
Q2 25
$6.1B
$10.4B
Q1 25
$6.0B
$10.1B
Q4 24
$5.9B
$10.0B
Q3 24
$5.9B
$10.2B
Q2 24
$5.9B
$10.1B
Debt / Equity
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.27×
0.27×
Q3 25
0.31×
0.27×
Q2 25
0.33×
0.27×
Q1 25
0.33×
0.29×
Q4 24
0.26×
0.32×
Q3 24
0.30×
0.33×
Q2 24
0.32×
0.35×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$97.7M
$298.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$49.4M
$199.5M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
5.9%
13.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
5.7%
6.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.20×
1.55×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$497.3M
$917.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
$97.7M
Q4 25
$312.2M
$298.2M
Q3 25
$227.5M
$287.8M
Q2 25
$93.9M
$420.0M
Q1 25
$36.5M
$260.8M
Q4 24
$247.4M
$332.8M
Q3 24
$206.5M
$250.7M
Q2 24
$179.3M
$303.7M
Free Cash Flow
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
$49.4M
Q4 25
$265.2M
$199.5M
Q3 25
$160.3M
$201.3M
Q2 25
$22.4M
$326.4M
Q1 25
$-42.1M
$189.9M
Q4 24
$150.7M
$243.6M
Q3 24
$130.1M
$148.8M
Q2 24
$90.8M
$195.7M
FCF Margin
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
5.9%
Q4 25
31.1%
13.3%
Q3 25
18.4%
13.8%
Q2 25
2.6%
23.5%
Q1 25
-5.4%
12.8%
Q4 24
18.8%
17.8%
Q3 24
15.7%
11.2%
Q2 24
11.0%
15.3%
Capex Intensity
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
5.7%
Q4 25
5.5%
6.6%
Q3 25
7.7%
5.9%
Q2 25
8.4%
6.7%
Q1 25
10.0%
4.8%
Q4 24
12.0%
6.5%
Q3 24
9.2%
7.7%
Q2 24
10.7%
8.4%
Cash Conversion
KEX
KEX
STE
STE
Q1 26
1.20×
Q4 25
3.40×
1.55×
Q3 25
2.46×
1.50×
Q2 25
1.00×
2.37×
Q1 25
0.48×
1.79×
Q4 24
5.78×
1.92×
Q3 24
2.30×
1.67×
Q2 24
2.14×
2.09×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

KEX
KEX

Marine transportation$497.2M59%
Distribution and services$346.9M41%

STE
STE

Servicerevenues$404.7M27%
Consumablerevenues$387.1M26%
Applied Sterilization Technologies$286.6M19%
Capitalequipmentrevenues$272.1M18%
Life Science$145.8M10%

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