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Side-by-side financial comparison of MIDDLEBY Corp (MIDD) and Waters Corporation (WAT). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Waters Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($932.4M vs $866.4M, roughly 1.1× MIDDLEBY Corp). Waters Corporation runs the higher net margin — 24.2% vs 4.3%, a 19.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Waters Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (6.8% vs -30.6%). Over the past eight quarters, Waters Corporation's revenue compounded faster (21.0% CAGR vs -3.3%).

The Middleby Corporation is a publicly traded American company based in Elgin, Illinois. The company manufactures commercial cooking equipment, industrial processing equipment, and residential appliances. The commercial cooking equipment side of Middleby does business with 97 out of the top 100 food service chains in the United States and internationally.

Waters Corporation is an American company headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts that provides analytical instruments and software used for chromatography, mass spectrometry, laboratory informatics, and rheometry by the life sciences, materials, and food industries.

MIDD vs WAT — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WAT
WAT
1.1× larger
WAT
$932.4M
$866.4M
MIDD
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
WAT
WAT
+37.4% gap
WAT
6.8%
-30.6%
MIDD
Higher net margin
WAT
WAT
19.9% more per $
WAT
24.2%
4.3%
MIDD
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
WAT
WAT
Annualised
WAT
21.0%
-3.3%
MIDD

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Revenue
$866.4M
$932.4M
Net Profit
$36.9M
$225.2M
Gross Margin
38.8%
61.1%
Operating Margin
17.3%
29.0%
Net Margin
4.3%
24.2%
Revenue YoY
-30.6%
6.8%
Net Profit YoY
-67.1%
-2.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.74
$3.76

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
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$866.4M
$932.4M
Q3 25
$982.1M
$799.9M
Q2 25
$977.9M
$771.3M
Q1 25
$906.6M
$661.7M
Q4 24
$1.0B
$872.7M
Q3 24
$942.8M
$740.3M
Q2 24
$991.5M
$708.5M
Q1 24
$926.9M
$636.8M
Net Profit
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$36.9M
$225.2M
Q3 25
$-513.0M
$148.9M
Q2 25
$106.0M
$147.1M
Q1 25
$92.4M
$121.4M
Q4 24
$112.3M
$231.4M
Q3 24
$114.2M
$161.5M
Q2 24
$115.4M
$142.7M
Q1 24
$86.6M
$102.2M
Gross Margin
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
38.8%
61.1%
Q3 25
36.8%
59.0%
Q2 25
38.0%
58.3%
Q1 25
38.2%
58.2%
Q4 24
38.4%
60.1%
Q3 24
37.7%
59.3%
Q2 24
38.3%
59.3%
Q1 24
37.4%
58.9%
Operating Margin
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
17.3%
29.0%
Q3 25
-56.4%
24.0%
Q2 25
15.9%
24.4%
Q1 25
15.5%
22.9%
Q4 24
16.8%
33.5%
Q3 24
18.4%
28.5%
Q2 24
17.7%
26.7%
Q1 24
14.8%
21.0%
Net Margin
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
4.3%
24.2%
Q3 25
-52.2%
18.6%
Q2 25
10.8%
19.1%
Q1 25
10.2%
18.3%
Q4 24
11.1%
26.5%
Q3 24
12.1%
21.8%
Q2 24
11.6%
20.1%
Q1 24
9.3%
16.0%
EPS (diluted)
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$0.74
$3.76
Q3 25
$-10.15
$2.50
Q2 25
$1.99
$2.47
Q1 25
$1.69
$2.03
Q4 24
$2.07
$3.88
Q3 24
$2.11
$2.71
Q2 24
$2.13
$2.40
Q1 24
$1.59
$1.72

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$222.2M
$587.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.2B
$1.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.8B
$2.6B
Total Assets
$6.3B
$5.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.78×
0.55×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$222.2M
$587.8M
Q3 25
$175.1M
$459.1M
Q2 25
$511.5M
$367.2M
Q1 25
$745.1M
$382.9M
Q4 24
$689.5M
$325.4M
Q3 24
$606.0M
$331.5M
Q2 24
$459.5M
$327.4M
Q1 24
$341.0M
$338.2M
Total Debt
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$2.2B
$1.4B
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
$2.4B
$1.6B
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
Stockholders' Equity
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$2.8B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$2.9B
$2.3B
Q2 25
$3.6B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$3.7B
$2.0B
Q4 24
$3.6B
$1.8B
Q3 24
$3.6B
$1.6B
Q2 24
$3.4B
$1.4B
Q1 24
$3.3B
$1.3B
Total Assets
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$6.3B
$5.1B
Q3 25
$6.4B
$4.9B
Q2 25
$7.3B
$4.7B
Q1 25
$7.4B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$7.3B
$4.6B
Q3 24
$7.2B
$4.5B
Q2 24
$7.0B
$4.4B
Q1 24
$6.9B
$4.5B
Debt / Equity
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
0.78×
0.55×
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.66×
0.89×
Q3 24
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
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$164.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$165.5M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
19.1%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.73×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$530.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$164.6M
Q3 25
$176.3M
$187.3M
Q2 25
$122.0M
$41.1M
Q1 25
$141.1M
$259.6M
Q4 24
$239.7M
$240.1M
Q3 24
$156.7M
$204.6M
Q2 24
$149.5M
$54.5M
Q1 24
$140.9M
$262.9M
Free Cash Flow
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$165.5M
Q3 25
$156.1M
Q2 25
$101.1M
Q1 25
$107.4M
Q4 24
$226.6M
Q3 24
$145.2M
Q2 24
$138.6M
Q1 24
$127.2M
FCF Margin
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
19.1%
Q3 25
15.9%
Q2 25
10.3%
Q1 25
11.8%
Q4 24
22.3%
Q3 24
15.4%
Q2 24
14.0%
Q1 24
13.7%
Capex Intensity
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
1.5%
Q3 25
2.1%
Q2 25
2.1%
Q1 25
3.7%
Q4 24
1.3%
Q3 24
1.2%
Q2 24
1.1%
Q1 24
1.5%
Cash Conversion
MIDD
MIDD
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
0.73×
Q3 25
1.26×
Q2 25
1.15×
0.28×
Q1 25
1.53×
2.14×
Q4 24
2.13×
1.04×
Q3 24
1.37×
1.27×
Q2 24
1.30×
0.38×
Q1 24
1.63×
2.57×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

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