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Side-by-side financial comparison of MSA Safety Inc (MSA) and E.W. SCRIPPS Co (SSP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

E.W. SCRIPPS Co is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($560.3M vs $510.9M, roughly 1.1× MSA Safety Inc). MSA Safety Inc runs the higher net margin — 17.0% vs -5.1%, a 22.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MSA Safety Inc posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (2.2% vs -23.1%). MSA Safety Inc produced more free cash flow last quarter ($106.0M vs $31.2M). Over the past eight quarters, MSA Safety Inc's revenue compounded faster (11.2% CAGR vs -0.1%).

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.

The E. W. Scripps Company, also known as Scripps, is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is headquartered at the Scripps Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its corporate motto is "Give light and the people will find their own way", which is symbolized by the media empire's longtime lighthouse logo.

MSA vs SSP — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SSP
SSP
1.1× larger
SSP
$560.3M
$510.9M
MSA
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MSA
MSA
+25.3% gap
MSA
2.2%
-23.1%
SSP
Higher net margin
MSA
MSA
22.1% more per $
MSA
17.0%
-5.1%
SSP
More free cash flow
MSA
MSA
$74.8M more FCF
MSA
$106.0M
$31.2M
SSP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MSA
MSA
Annualised
MSA
11.2%
-0.1%
SSP

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Revenue
$510.9M
$560.3M
Net Profit
$86.9M
$-28.5M
Gross Margin
46.9%
Operating Margin
22.3%
7.5%
Net Margin
17.0%
-5.1%
Revenue YoY
2.2%
-23.1%
Net Profit YoY
-1.2%
-129.9%
EPS (diluted)
$2.22
$-0.51

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
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$510.9M
$560.3M
Q3 25
$468.4M
$525.9M
Q2 25
$474.1M
$540.1M
Q1 25
$421.3M
$524.4M
Q4 24
$499.7M
$728.4M
Q3 24
$432.7M
$646.3M
Q2 24
$462.5M
$573.6M
Q1 24
$413.3M
$561.5M
Net Profit
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$86.9M
$-28.5M
Q3 25
$69.6M
$-33.0M
Q2 25
$62.8M
$-36.0M
Q1 25
$59.6M
$-3.5M
Q4 24
$87.9M
$95.4M
Q3 24
$66.6M
$47.8M
Q2 24
$72.2M
$1.4M
Q1 24
$58.1M
$1.6M
Gross Margin
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
46.9%
Q3 25
46.5%
Q2 25
46.6%
Q1 25
45.9%
Q4 24
46.9%
Q3 24
47.9%
Q2 24
48.2%
Q1 24
47.3%
Operating Margin
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
22.3%
7.5%
Q3 25
20.1%
7.2%
Q2 25
18.1%
14.2%
Q1 25
18.5%
5.2%
Q4 24
23.5%
26.3%
Q3 24
21.1%
18.8%
Q2 24
21.6%
9.7%
Q1 24
19.4%
7.7%
Net Margin
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
17.0%
-5.1%
Q3 25
14.9%
-6.3%
Q2 25
13.2%
-6.7%
Q1 25
14.1%
-0.7%
Q4 24
17.6%
13.1%
Q3 24
15.4%
7.4%
Q2 24
15.6%
0.2%
Q1 24
14.1%
0.3%
EPS (diluted)
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$2.22
$-0.51
Q3 25
$1.77
$-0.55
Q2 25
$1.59
$-0.59
Q1 25
$1.51
$-0.22
Q4 24
$2.22
$0.94
Q3 24
$1.69
$0.37
Q2 24
$1.83
$-0.15
Q1 24
$1.47
$-0.15

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$165.1M
$27.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$580.9M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.4B
$1.2B
Total Assets
$2.6B
$5.0B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.42×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$165.1M
$27.9M
Q3 25
$170.0M
$54.7M
Q2 25
$147.0M
$31.7M
Q1 25
$170.6M
$24.0M
Q4 24
$164.6M
$23.9M
Q3 24
$154.4M
$34.6M
Q2 24
$146.8M
$26.7M
Q1 24
$148.3M
$30.2M
Total Debt
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$580.9M
Q3 25
$628.6M
Q2 25
$679.3M
Q1 25
$502.1M
Q4 24
$508.0M
$2.6B
Q3 24
$554.7M
Q2 24
$588.2M
Q1 24
$596.2M
Stockholders' Equity
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$1.4B
$1.2B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$1.3B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$1.3B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$1.3B
Q3 24
$1.1B
$1.2B
Q2 24
$1.0B
$1.2B
Q1 24
$994.8M
$1.2B
Total Assets
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$2.6B
$5.0B
Q3 25
$2.6B
$5.1B
Q2 25
$2.6B
$5.1B
Q1 25
$2.2B
$5.1B
Q4 24
$2.2B
$5.2B
Q3 24
$2.2B
$5.3B
Q2 24
$2.2B
$5.3B
Q1 24
$2.2B
$5.3B
Debt / Equity
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
0.42×
Q3 25
0.48×
Q2 25
0.54×
Q1 25
0.42×
Q4 24
0.44×
1.98×
Q3 24
0.51×
Q2 24
0.57×
Q1 24
0.60×

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
SSP
SSP
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$122.4M
$45.1M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$106.0M
$31.2M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
20.8%
5.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.2%
2.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.41×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$295.4M
$6.5M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$122.4M
$45.1M
Q3 25
$112.5M
$21.8M
Q2 25
$67.2M
$-10.5M
Q1 25
$61.8M
$-3.3M
Q4 24
$107.9M
$153.3M
Q3 24
$84.3M
$140.6M
Q2 24
$53.3M
$26.4M
Q1 24
$50.9M
$45.4M
Free Cash Flow
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
$106.0M
$31.2M
Q3 25
$100.5M
$6.4M
Q2 25
$37.9M
$-22.7M
Q1 25
$51.0M
$-8.4M
Q4 24
$93.5M
$146.9M
Q3 24
$70.1M
$127.4M
Q2 24
$39.0M
$2.8M
Q1 24
$39.7M
$23.3M
FCF Margin
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
20.8%
5.6%
Q3 25
21.4%
1.2%
Q2 25
8.0%
-4.2%
Q1 25
12.1%
-1.6%
Q4 24
18.7%
20.2%
Q3 24
16.2%
19.7%
Q2 24
8.4%
0.5%
Q1 24
9.6%
4.1%
Capex Intensity
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
3.2%
2.5%
Q3 25
2.6%
2.9%
Q2 25
6.2%
2.3%
Q1 25
2.6%
1.0%
Q4 24
2.9%
0.9%
Q3 24
3.3%
2.0%
Q2 24
3.1%
4.1%
Q1 24
2.7%
3.9%
Cash Conversion
MSA
MSA
SSP
SSP
Q4 25
1.41×
Q3 25
1.62×
Q2 25
1.07×
Q1 25
1.04×
Q4 24
1.23×
1.61×
Q3 24
1.27×
2.94×
Q2 24
0.74×
18.45×
Q1 24
0.88×
27.94×

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%

SSP
SSP

Local Media Segment$355.1M63%
Scripps Networks$199.5M36%
Political Advertising Revenue$10.0M2%

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