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Side-by-side financial comparison of MSA Safety Inc (MSA) and SBA Communications (SBAC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

SBA Communications is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($703.4M vs $510.9M, roughly 1.4× MSA Safety Inc). SBA Communications runs the higher net margin — 26.3% vs 17.0%, a 9.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MSA Safety Inc posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (2.2% vs -1.6%). Over the past eight quarters, MSA Safety Inc's revenue compounded faster (11.2% CAGR vs 3.2%).

Mine Safety Appliances, or MSA Safety Incorporated, is an American manufacturer and supplier of safety equipment designed for use in a variety of hazardous conditions in industries such as construction, the military, fire service, and chemical, oil, and gas production. MSA is based in the Pittsburgh suburb of Cranberry.

SBA Communications Corporation is a real estate investment trust which owns and operates wireless infrastructure in the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, and South Africa. It was founded in 1989 as Steven Bernstein and Associates by Steven Bernstein.

MSA vs SBAC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SBAC
SBAC
1.4× larger
SBAC
$703.4M
$510.9M
MSA
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MSA
MSA
+3.8% gap
MSA
2.2%
-1.6%
SBAC
Higher net margin
SBAC
SBAC
9.3% more per $
SBAC
26.3%
17.0%
MSA
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MSA
MSA
Annualised
MSA
11.2%
3.2%
SBAC

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Revenue
$510.9M
$703.4M
Net Profit
$86.9M
$184.9M
Gross Margin
46.9%
Operating Margin
22.3%
48.7%
Net Margin
17.0%
26.3%
Revenue YoY
2.2%
-1.6%
Net Profit YoY
-1.2%
-15.1%
EPS (diluted)
$2.22
$1.74

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
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
$703.4M
Q4 25
$510.9M
$719.6M
Q3 25
$468.4M
$732.3M
Q2 25
$474.1M
$699.0M
Q1 25
$421.3M
$664.2M
Q4 24
$499.7M
$693.7M
Q3 24
$432.7M
$667.6M
Q2 24
$462.5M
$660.5M
Net Profit
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
$184.9M
Q4 25
$86.9M
$370.4M
Q3 25
$69.6M
$236.8M
Q2 25
$62.8M
$225.8M
Q1 25
$59.6M
$220.7M
Q4 24
$87.9M
$178.8M
Q3 24
$66.6M
$258.5M
Q2 24
$72.2M
$162.8M
Gross Margin
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
Q4 25
46.9%
75.6%
Q3 25
46.5%
74.1%
Q2 25
46.6%
75.4%
Q1 25
45.9%
76.9%
Q4 24
46.9%
78.1%
Q3 24
47.9%
77.5%
Q2 24
48.2%
78.6%
Operating Margin
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
48.7%
Q4 25
22.3%
41.5%
Q3 25
20.1%
51.1%
Q2 25
18.1%
47.9%
Q1 25
18.5%
50.4%
Q4 24
23.5%
55.1%
Q3 24
21.1%
56.3%
Q2 24
21.6%
53.7%
Net Margin
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
26.3%
Q4 25
17.0%
51.5%
Q3 25
14.9%
32.3%
Q2 25
13.2%
32.3%
Q1 25
14.1%
33.2%
Q4 24
17.6%
25.8%
Q3 24
15.4%
38.7%
Q2 24
15.6%
24.7%
EPS (diluted)
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
$1.74
Q4 25
$2.22
$3.47
Q3 25
$1.77
$2.20
Q2 25
$1.59
$2.09
Q1 25
$1.51
$2.04
Q4 24
$2.22
$1.61
Q3 24
$1.69
$2.40
Q2 24
$1.83
$1.51

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$165.1M
$269.1M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$580.9M
$2.7B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.4B
Total Assets
$2.6B
$11.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.42×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
$269.1M
Q4 25
$165.1M
$271.2M
Q3 25
$170.0M
$431.1M
Q2 25
$147.0M
$276.8M
Q1 25
$170.6M
$702.2M
Q4 24
$164.6M
$444.4M
Q3 24
$154.4M
$202.6M
Q2 24
$146.8M
$250.9M
Total Debt
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
$2.7B
Q4 25
$580.9M
$12.9B
Q3 25
$628.6M
$12.7B
Q2 25
$679.3M
$12.5B
Q1 25
$502.1M
$12.4B
Q4 24
$508.0M
$13.6B
Q3 24
$554.7M
$12.3B
Q2 24
$588.2M
$12.3B
Stockholders' Equity
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.4B
$-4.9B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$-4.9B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$-4.9B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$-5.0B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$-5.1B
Q3 24
$1.1B
$-5.2B
Q2 24
$1.0B
$-5.3B
Total Assets
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
$11.7B
Q4 25
$2.6B
$11.6B
Q3 25
$2.6B
$11.3B
Q2 25
$2.6B
$10.8B
Q1 25
$2.2B
$10.4B
Q4 24
$2.2B
$11.4B
Q3 24
$2.2B
$10.2B
Q2 24
$2.2B
$9.8B
Debt / Equity
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.42×
Q3 25
0.48×
Q2 25
0.54×
Q1 25
0.42×
Q4 24
0.44×
Q3 24
0.51×
Q2 24
0.57×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$122.4M
$255.1M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$106.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
20.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.2%
9.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.41×
1.38×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$295.4M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
$255.1M
Q4 25
$122.4M
$1.3B
Q3 25
$112.5M
$318.0M
Q2 25
$67.2M
$368.1M
Q1 25
$61.8M
$301.2M
Q4 24
$107.9M
$1.3B
Q3 24
$84.3M
$304.7M
Q2 24
$53.3M
$425.6M
Free Cash Flow
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
Q4 25
$106.0M
$833.3M
Q3 25
$100.5M
$258.0M
Q2 25
$37.9M
$312.2M
Q1 25
$51.0M
$255.0M
Q4 24
$93.5M
$1.2B
Q3 24
$70.1M
$239.9M
Q2 24
$39.0M
$375.6M
FCF Margin
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
Q4 25
20.8%
115.8%
Q3 25
21.4%
35.2%
Q2 25
8.0%
44.7%
Q1 25
12.1%
38.4%
Q4 24
18.7%
179.9%
Q3 24
16.2%
35.9%
Q2 24
8.4%
56.9%
Capex Intensity
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
9.5%
Q4 25
3.2%
63.7%
Q3 25
2.6%
8.2%
Q2 25
6.2%
8.0%
Q1 25
2.6%
7.0%
Q4 24
2.9%
12.6%
Q3 24
3.3%
9.7%
Q2 24
3.1%
7.6%
Cash Conversion
MSA
MSA
SBAC
SBAC
Q1 26
1.38×
Q4 25
1.41×
3.49×
Q3 25
1.62×
1.34×
Q2 25
1.07×
1.63×
Q1 25
1.04×
1.36×
Q4 24
1.23×
7.47×
Q3 24
1.27×
1.18×
Q2 24
0.74×
2.61×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MSA
MSA

Americas Segment$335.2M66%
International Segment$175.7M34%

SBAC
SBAC

Site leasing$656.1M93%
Site development$47.3M7%

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