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Side-by-side financial comparison of MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC (MSM) and Quanex Building Products CORP (NX). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($965.7M vs $495.3M, roughly 1.9× Quanex Building Products CORP). MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC runs the higher net margin — 5.4% vs -55.7%, a 61.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Quanex Building Products CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (76.7% vs 4.0%). Quanex Building Products CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($46.2M vs $7.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Quanex Building Products CORP's revenue compounded faster (29.5% CAGR vs -3.4%).
MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc (MSC), through its subsidiaries, primarily MSC Industrial Supply Co., is one of the largest industrial equipment distributors in the United States, distributing more than 1.5 million metalworking and other industrial products.
Quanex Building Products Corporation is a leading manufacturer of engineered building components and materials. Its core offerings include insulating glass spacers, window and door systems, and cabinet furniture components, serving residential and commercial construction markets across North America and Europe, with a focus on energy-efficient, sustainable building solutions.
MSM vs NX — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $965.7M | $495.3M |
| Net Profit | $51.8M | $-276.0M |
| Gross Margin | 40.7% | 27.9% |
| Operating Margin | 7.9% | -54.7% |
| Net Margin | 5.4% | -55.7% |
| Revenue YoY | 4.0% | 76.7% |
| Net Profit YoY | 11.1% | -1188.8% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.93 | $-6.04 |
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.
| Q4 25 | $965.7M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $978.2M | $495.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $971.1M | $452.5M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $400.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $928.5M | $492.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $280.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $979.4M | $266.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $935.3M | $239.2M |
| Q4 25 | $51.8M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $56.5M | $-276.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $56.8M | $20.5M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $-14.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $46.6M | $-13.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $25.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $71.7M | $15.4M | ||
| Q1 24 | $61.8M | $6.2M |
| Q4 25 | 40.7% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 40.4% | 27.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | 41.0% | 29.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 23.1% | ||
| Q4 24 | 40.7% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 25.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 40.9% | 24.9% | ||
| Q1 24 | 41.5% | 21.5% |
| Q4 25 | 7.9% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 8.6% | -54.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 8.5% | 9.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | -1.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 7.8% | 0.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 8.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | 10.9% | 7.8% | ||
| Q1 24 | 9.7% | 3.3% |
| Q4 25 | 5.4% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 5.8% | -55.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 5.9% | 4.5% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | -3.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 5.0% | -2.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 9.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 7.3% | 5.8% | ||
| Q1 24 | 6.6% | 2.6% |
| Q4 25 | $0.93 | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.02 | $-6.04 | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.02 | $0.44 | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $-0.32 | ||
| Q4 24 | $0.83 | $-0.52 | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $0.77 | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.27 | $0.46 | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.10 | $0.19 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $40.3M | $66.3M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $214.1M | $695.6M |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $1.4B | $717.4M |
| Total Assets | $2.5B | $2.0B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.16× | 0.97× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $40.3M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $56.2M | $66.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $71.7M | $62.6M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $50.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $57.3M | $97.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $94.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $25.9M | $56.1M | ||
| Q1 24 | $22.2M | $44.4M |
| Q4 25 | $214.1M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $168.8M | $695.6M | ||
| Q2 25 | $285.0M | $746.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $725.2M | ||
| Q4 24 | $289.9M | $737.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $51.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $299.8M | $51.5M | ||
| Q1 24 | $294.5M | $61.6M |
| Q4 25 | $1.4B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.4B | $717.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.4B | $1.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $972.1M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.4B | $1.0B | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $594.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.4B | $566.1M | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.4B | $555.0M |
| Q4 25 | $2.5B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.5B | $2.0B | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.5B | $2.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $2.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.5B | $2.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $872.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $2.5B | $837.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $2.5B | $813.4M |
| Q4 25 | 0.16× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.12× | 0.97× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.21× | 0.75× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 0.75× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.21× | 0.73× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 0.09× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.21× | 0.09× | ||
| Q1 24 | 0.21× | 0.11× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $29.4M | $60.7M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $7.4M | $46.2M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 0.8% | 9.3% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 2.3% | 2.9% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 0.57× | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | — | $27.5M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $29.4M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $60.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $151.6M | $28.5M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $-12.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $101.9M | $5.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $46.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $143.5M | $33.1M | ||
| Q1 24 | $78.7M | $3.9M |
| Q4 25 | $7.4M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $46.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $100.7M | $13.6M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $-24.1M | ||
| Q4 24 | $81.7M | $-8.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $40.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $114.0M | $25.5M | ||
| Q1 24 | $53.4M | $-5.7M |
| Q4 25 | 0.8% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 9.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 10.4% | 3.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | -6.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 8.8% | -1.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 14.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 11.6% | 9.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | 5.7% | -2.4% |
| Q4 25 | 2.3% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 2.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | 5.2% | 3.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 2.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.2% | 2.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 2.2% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.0% | 2.9% | ||
| Q1 24 | 2.7% | 4.0% |
| Q4 25 | 0.57× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.67× | 1.39× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.18× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 1.83× | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.00× | 2.15× | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.27× | 0.62× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
MSM
Segment breakdown not available.
NX
| Window And Door Hardware | $150.3M | 30% |
| Screens | $76.8M | 16% |
| Window Profiles | $68.2M | 14% |
| Spacers | $54.7M | 11% |
| Wood Solutions | $53.4M | 11% |
| Seals And Gaskets | $29.9M | 6% |
| Access Solutions | $27.4M | 6% |
| Mixing Solution | $21.5M | 4% |
| Solar | $5.3M | 1% |
| Product Type Other | $3.3M | 1% |
