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Side-by-side financial comparison of Monster Beverage (MNST) and Norfolk Southern (NSC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Norfolk Southern is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.0B vs $2.1B, roughly 1.4× Monster Beverage). Norfolk Southern runs the higher net margin — 21.7% vs 21.1%, a 0.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Monster Beverage posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (17.6% vs -1.7%). Monster Beverage produced more free cash flow last quarter ($351.2M vs $334.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Monster Beverage's revenue compounded faster (5.9% CAGR vs -0.5%).

Monster Beverage Corporation is an American beverage company that manufactures energy drinks including Monster Energy, Relentless, Reign and Burn. The company was originally founded as Hansen's in 1935 in Southern California, originally selling juice products. The company renamed itself as Monster Beverage in 2012.

The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The company operates 19,420 route miles (31,250 km) in 22 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and has rights in Canada over the Albany to Montreal route of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City.

MNST vs NSC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NSC
NSC
1.4× larger
NSC
$3.0B
$2.1B
MNST
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MNST
MNST
+19.3% gap
MNST
17.6%
-1.7%
NSC
Higher net margin
NSC
NSC
0.6% more per $
NSC
21.7%
21.1%
MNST
More free cash flow
MNST
MNST
$17.2M more FCF
MNST
$351.2M
$334.0M
NSC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MNST
MNST
Annualised
MNST
5.9%
-0.5%
NSC

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Revenue
$2.1B
$3.0B
Net Profit
$449.2M
$644.0M
Gross Margin
55.5%
Operating Margin
25.5%
31.5%
Net Margin
21.1%
21.7%
Revenue YoY
17.6%
-1.7%
Net Profit YoY
65.9%
-12.1%
EPS (diluted)
$2.87

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
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$2.1B
$3.0B
Q3 25
$2.2B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$2.1B
$3.1B
Q1 25
$1.9B
$3.0B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$3.0B
Q3 24
$1.9B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$3.0B
Q1 24
$1.9B
$3.0B
Net Profit
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$449.2M
$644.0M
Q3 25
$524.5M
$711.0M
Q2 25
$488.8M
$768.0M
Q1 25
$443.0M
$750.0M
Q4 24
$270.7M
$733.0M
Q3 24
$370.9M
$1.1B
Q2 24
$425.4M
$737.0M
Q1 24
$442.0M
$53.0M
Gross Margin
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
55.5%
Q3 25
55.7%
Q2 25
55.7%
Q1 25
56.5%
Q4 24
55.3%
Q3 24
53.2%
Q2 24
53.6%
Q1 24
54.1%
Operating Margin
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
25.5%
31.5%
Q3 25
30.7%
35.4%
Q2 25
29.9%
37.8%
Q1 25
30.7%
38.3%
Q4 24
21.0%
37.4%
Q3 24
25.5%
52.3%
Q2 24
27.7%
37.2%
Q1 24
28.5%
7.1%
Net Margin
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
21.1%
21.7%
Q3 25
23.9%
22.9%
Q2 25
23.1%
24.7%
Q1 25
23.9%
25.1%
Q4 24
14.9%
24.2%
Q3 24
19.7%
36.0%
Q2 24
22.4%
24.2%
Q1 24
23.3%
1.8%
EPS (diluted)
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$2.87
Q3 25
$3.16
Q2 25
$3.41
Q1 25
$3.31
Q4 24
$3.24
Q3 24
$4.85
Q2 24
$3.25
Q1 24
$0.23

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$2.8B
$1.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$16.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$8.3B
$15.5B
Total Assets
$10.0B
$45.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$2.8B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$2.6B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$2.1B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$1.9B
$1.0B
Q4 24
$1.5B
$1.6B
Q3 24
$1.6B
$975.0M
Q2 24
$1.6B
$659.0M
Q1 24
$3.6B
$652.0M
Total Debt
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$16.5B
Q3 25
$16.5B
Q2 25
$16.5B
Q1 25
$199.1M
$16.7B
Q4 24
$374.0M
$16.7B
Q3 24
$748.8M
$16.6B
Q2 24
$748.7M
$16.9B
Q1 24
$17.2B
Stockholders' Equity
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$8.3B
$15.5B
Q3 25
$7.7B
$15.1B
Q2 25
$7.2B
$14.8B
Q1 25
$6.5B
$14.5B
Q4 24
$6.0B
$14.3B
Q3 24
$5.8B
$13.8B
Q2 24
$5.9B
$13.0B
Q1 24
$8.6B
$12.5B
Total Assets
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$10.0B
$45.2B
Q3 25
$9.6B
$44.6B
Q2 25
$8.7B
$44.2B
Q1 25
$8.2B
$43.8B
Q4 24
$7.7B
$43.7B
Q3 24
$8.1B
$43.3B
Q2 24
$8.1B
$42.6B
Q1 24
$10.1B
$42.1B
Debt / Equity
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
1.06×
Q3 25
1.09×
Q2 25
1.11×
Q1 25
0.03×
1.15×
Q4 24
0.06×
1.16×
Q3 24
0.13×
1.21×
Q2 24
0.13×
1.30×
Q1 24
1.37×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$379.4M
$1.1B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$351.2M
$334.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.5%
11.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.3%
24.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.84×
1.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$2.0B
$2.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$379.4M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$745.1M
$1.3B
Q2 25
$466.0M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$507.6M
$950.0M
Q4 24
$461.7M
$951.0M
Q3 24
$618.4M
$1.2B
Q2 24
$436.3M
$1.0B
Q1 24
$412.1M
$839.0M
Free Cash Flow
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$351.2M
$334.0M
Q3 25
$701.5M
$720.0M
Q2 25
$434.6M
$602.0M
Q1 25
$478.5M
$501.0M
Q4 24
$370.4M
$276.0M
Q3 24
$571.4M
$645.0M
Q2 24
$376.5M
$468.0M
Q1 24
$346.1M
$282.0M
FCF Margin
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
16.5%
11.2%
Q3 25
31.9%
23.2%
Q2 25
20.6%
19.4%
Q1 25
25.8%
16.7%
Q4 24
20.4%
9.1%
Q3 24
30.4%
21.1%
Q2 24
19.8%
15.4%
Q1 24
18.2%
9.4%
Capex Intensity
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
1.3%
24.5%
Q3 25
2.0%
17.8%
Q2 25
1.5%
15.3%
Q1 25
1.6%
15.0%
Q4 24
5.0%
22.3%
Q3 24
2.5%
19.0%
Q2 24
3.1%
18.7%
Q1 24
3.5%
18.5%
Cash Conversion
MNST
MNST
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
0.84×
1.65×
Q3 25
1.42×
1.79×
Q2 25
0.95×
1.40×
Q1 25
1.15×
1.27×
Q4 24
1.71×
1.30×
Q3 24
1.67×
1.12×
Q2 24
1.03×
1.41×
Q1 24
0.93×
15.83×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MNST
MNST

Monster Energy Drinks Segment$1.2B57%
Sales Revenue Product Line$905.5M42%
Strategic Brands Segment$50.3M2%
Alcohol Brands Segment$29.0M1%

NSC
NSC

Railway Operating Revenues Market Group Merchandise$1.9B63%
Metals And Construction$404.0M14%
Railway Operating Revenues Market Group Coal$347.0M12%
Automotive$293.0M10%

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