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Side-by-side financial comparison of KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. (KLC) and SPIRE INC (SR). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

SPIRE INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($762.2M vs $676.8M, roughly 1.1× KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc.). SPIRE INC runs the higher net margin — 12.5% vs 0.7%, a 11.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, SPIRE INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (13.9% vs 0.8%). KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($62.6M vs $-121.8M).

KinderCare Learning Centers, LLC is an American operator of for-profit child care and early childhood education facilities founded in 1969 and currently owned by KinderCare Education based in Portland, Oregon. The company provides educational programs for children from six weeks to 12 years old. KinderCare is the third-largest privately held company headquartered in Oregon. In 39 states and the District of Columbia, some 200,000 children are enrolled in more than 1,250 early childhood educati...

Spire Inc. is a regional public utility holding company based in St. Louis, Missouri, providing natural gas service through its regulated core utility operations while engaging in non-regulated activities that provide business opportunities. Its primary subsidiary Laclede Gas Company is the largest natural gas distribution utility in Missouri, serving approximately 631,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the City of St. Louis and ten counties in eastern Missouri. Its corpo...

KLC vs SR — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SR
SR
1.1× larger
SR
$762.2M
$676.8M
KLC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
SR
SR
+13.1% gap
SR
13.9%
0.8%
KLC
Higher net margin
SR
SR
11.8% more per $
SR
12.5%
0.7%
KLC
More free cash flow
KLC
KLC
$184.4M more FCF
KLC
$62.6M
$-121.8M
SR

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Revenue
$676.8M
$762.2M
Net Profit
$4.5M
$95.0M
Gross Margin
55.1%
Operating Margin
3.9%
22.8%
Net Margin
0.7%
12.5%
Revenue YoY
0.8%
13.9%
Net Profit YoY
-67.4%
16.9%
EPS (diluted)
$0.04
$1.54

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
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
$762.2M
Q3 25
$676.8M
$334.1M
Q2 25
$700.1M
$421.9M
Q1 25
$668.2M
$1.1B
Q4 24
$647.0M
$669.1M
Q3 24
$671.5M
$293.8M
Q2 24
$414.1M
Q1 24
$1.1B
Net Profit
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
$95.0M
Q3 25
$4.5M
$-39.8M
Q2 25
$38.6M
$20.9M
Q1 25
$21.2M
$209.3M
Q4 24
$-133.6M
$81.3M
Q3 24
$14.0M
$-25.9M
Q2 24
$-12.6M
Q1 24
$204.3M
Gross Margin
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
55.1%
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
55.6%
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
Operating Margin
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
22.8%
Q3 25
3.9%
-0.1%
Q2 25
9.8%
16.4%
Q1 25
7.3%
29.1%
Q4 24
-13.8%
22.2%
Q3 24
8.1%
6.7%
Q2 24
7.4%
Q1 24
26.5%
Net Margin
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
12.5%
Q3 25
0.7%
-11.9%
Q2 25
5.5%
5.0%
Q1 25
3.2%
19.9%
Q4 24
-20.6%
12.2%
Q3 24
2.1%
-8.8%
Q2 24
-3.0%
Q1 24
18.1%
EPS (diluted)
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
$1.54
Q3 25
$0.04
$-0.77
Q2 25
$0.33
$0.29
Q1 25
$0.18
$3.51
Q4 24
$-1.17
$1.34
Q3 24
$0.15
$-0.63
Q2 24
$-0.28
Q1 24
$3.58

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.7M
$4.1M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$930.9M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$931.2M
$3.4B
Total Assets
$3.9B
$11.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.00×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
$4.1M
Q3 25
$174.7M
$5.7M
Q2 25
$119.0M
$13.1M
Q1 25
$131.3M
$15.2M
Q4 24
$62.3M
$11.5M
Q3 24
$137.2M
$4.5M
Q2 24
$7.4M
Q1 24
$25.6M
Total Debt
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
Q3 25
$930.9M
Q2 25
$926.5M
Q1 25
$927.4M
Q4 24
$926.0M
Q3 24
$1.5B
Q2 24
Q1 24
Stockholders' Equity
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
$3.4B
Q3 25
$931.2M
$3.4B
Q2 25
$924.3M
$3.5B
Q1 25
$884.9M
$3.5B
Q4 24
$864.5M
$3.3B
Q3 24
$235.6M
$3.2B
Q2 24
$3.3B
Q1 24
$3.4B
Total Assets
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
$11.9B
Q3 25
$3.9B
$11.6B
Q2 25
$3.8B
$11.4B
Q1 25
$3.7B
$11.3B
Q4 24
$3.6B
$11.3B
Q3 24
$3.7B
$10.9B
Q2 24
$10.7B
Q1 24
$10.7B
Debt / Equity
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
Q3 25
1.00×
Q2 25
1.00×
Q1 25
1.05×
Q4 24
1.07×
Q3 24
6.42×
Q2 24
Q1 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$100.8M
$81.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$62.6M
$-121.8M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
9.2%
-16.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
5.6%
26.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
22.15×
0.85×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-286.7M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
$81.0M
Q3 25
$100.8M
$-4.9M
Q2 25
$35.0M
$129.1M
Q1 25
$98.4M
$372.7M
Q4 24
$81.1M
Q3 24
$82.9M
Q2 24
$270.1M
Q1 24
$489.4M
Free Cash Flow
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
$-121.8M
Q3 25
$62.6M
$-227.6M
Q2 25
$671.0K
$-91.4M
Q1 25
$75.1M
$154.1M
Q4 24
$-179.5M
Q3 24
$-146.9M
Q2 24
$47.9M
Q1 24
$306.6M
FCF Margin
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
-16.0%
Q3 25
9.2%
-68.1%
Q2 25
0.1%
-21.7%
Q1 25
11.2%
14.7%
Q4 24
-26.8%
Q3 24
-50.0%
Q2 24
11.6%
Q1 24
27.2%
Capex Intensity
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
26.6%
Q3 25
5.6%
66.7%
Q2 25
4.9%
52.3%
Q1 25
3.5%
20.8%
Q4 24
38.9%
Q3 24
78.2%
Q2 24
53.7%
Q1 24
16.2%
Cash Conversion
KLC
KLC
SR
SR
Q4 25
0.85×
Q3 25
22.15×
Q2 25
0.91×
6.18×
Q1 25
4.65×
1.78×
Q4 24
1.00×
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
2.40×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

KLC
KLC

Early Childhood Education Centers$627.0M93%
Before And After School Sites$49.8M7%

SR
SR

Residential$474.9M62%
Commercial And Industrial$148.4M19%
Gas Marketing$41.1M5%
Midstream$39.0M5%
Transportation$37.1M5%
Offsystem And Other Inventive$19.7M3%
Other Customer Revenue$4.6M1%

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