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Side-by-side financial comparison of MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC (MSM) and OLIN Corp (OLN). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

OLIN Corp is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.7B vs $965.7M, roughly 1.7× MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC). MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC runs the higher net margin — 5.4% vs -8.6%, a 14.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.0% vs -0.4%). Over the past eight quarters, OLIN Corp's revenue compounded faster (0.9% 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.

Olin Corporation is an American manufacturer of ammunition, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide. The company traces its roots to two companies, both founded in 1892: Franklin W. Olin's Equitable Powder Company and the Mathieson Alkali Works. Accidents at Olin chemical plants have exposed employees and nearby residents to health hazards.

MSM vs OLN — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
OLN
OLN
1.7× larger
OLN
$1.7B
$965.7M
MSM
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MSM
MSM
+4.4% gap
MSM
4.0%
-0.4%
OLN
Higher net margin
MSM
MSM
14.0% more per $
MSM
5.4%
-8.6%
OLN
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
OLN
OLN
Annualised
OLN
0.9%
-3.4%
MSM

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Revenue
$965.7M
$1.7B
Net Profit
$51.8M
$-143.2M
Gross Margin
40.7%
1.9%
Operating Margin
7.9%
-9.4%
Net Margin
5.4%
-8.6%
Revenue YoY
4.0%
-0.4%
Net Profit YoY
11.1%
-1517.8%
EPS (diluted)
$0.93
$-1.25

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
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$965.7M
$1.7B
Q3 25
$978.2M
$1.7B
Q2 25
$971.1M
$1.8B
Q1 25
$1.6B
Q4 24
$928.5M
$1.7B
Q3 24
$1.6B
Q2 24
$979.4M
$1.6B
Q1 24
$935.3M
$1.6B
Net Profit
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$51.8M
$-143.2M
Q3 25
$56.5M
$43.7M
Q2 25
$56.8M
$-2.8M
Q1 25
$1.2M
Q4 24
$46.6M
$10.1M
Q3 24
$-25.2M
Q2 24
$71.7M
$72.3M
Q1 24
$61.8M
$47.8M
Gross Margin
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
40.7%
1.9%
Q3 25
40.4%
10.7%
Q2 25
41.0%
7.9%
Q1 25
9.0%
Q4 24
40.7%
9.4%
Q3 24
8.5%
Q2 24
40.9%
14.5%
Q1 24
41.5%
12.7%
Operating Margin
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
7.9%
-9.4%
Q3 25
8.6%
4.8%
Q2 25
8.5%
2.0%
Q1 25
2.7%
Q4 24
7.8%
2.8%
Q3 24
1.0%
Q2 24
10.9%
8.3%
Q1 24
9.7%
5.9%
Net Margin
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
5.4%
-8.6%
Q3 25
5.8%
2.6%
Q2 25
5.9%
-0.2%
Q1 25
0.1%
Q4 24
5.0%
0.6%
Q3 24
-1.6%
Q2 24
7.3%
4.4%
Q1 24
6.6%
2.9%
EPS (diluted)
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$0.93
$-1.25
Q3 25
$1.02
$0.37
Q2 25
$1.02
$-0.01
Q1 25
$0.01
Q4 24
$0.83
$0.10
Q3 24
$-0.21
Q2 24
$1.27
$0.62
Q1 24
$1.10
$0.40

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$40.3M
$167.6M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$214.1M
$2.8B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.4B
$1.8B
Total Assets
$2.5B
$7.3B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.16×
1.55×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$40.3M
$167.6M
Q3 25
$56.2M
Q2 25
$71.7M
Q1 25
Q4 24
$57.3M
$175.6M
Q3 24
Q2 24
$25.9M
Q1 24
$22.2M
Total Debt
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$214.1M
$2.8B
Q3 25
$168.8M
$3.0B
Q2 25
$285.0M
$3.0B
Q1 25
$3.0B
Q4 24
$289.9M
$2.7B
Q3 24
$2.8B
Q2 24
$299.8M
$2.8B
Q1 24
$294.5M
$2.7B
Stockholders' Equity
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$1.4B
$1.8B
Q3 25
$1.4B
$2.0B
Q2 25
$1.4B
$2.0B
Q1 25
$2.0B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$2.0B
Q3 24
$2.1B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$2.1B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$2.2B
Total Assets
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$2.5B
$7.3B
Q3 25
$2.5B
$7.6B
Q2 25
$2.5B
$7.7B
Q1 25
$7.7B
Q4 24
$2.5B
$7.6B
Q3 24
$7.5B
Q2 24
$2.5B
$7.7B
Q1 24
$2.5B
$7.6B
Debt / Equity
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
0.16×
1.55×
Q3 25
0.12×
1.52×
Q2 25
0.21×
1.52×
Q1 25
1.50×
Q4 24
0.21×
1.34×
Q3 24
1.34×
Q2 24
0.21×
1.31×
Q1 24
0.21×
1.24×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$29.4M
$321.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$7.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
0.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.3%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.57×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$29.4M
$321.2M
Q3 25
$26.7M
Q2 25
$151.6M
$212.3M
Q1 25
$-86.0M
Q4 24
$101.9M
$141.7M
Q3 24
$189.9M
Q2 24
$143.5M
$90.6M
Q1 24
$78.7M
$81.0M
Free Cash Flow
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
$7.4M
Q3 25
$-44.4M
Q2 25
$100.7M
Q1 25
$-147.4M
Q4 24
$81.7M
$90.7M
Q3 24
$146.6M
Q2 24
$114.0M
$34.1M
Q1 24
$53.4M
$36.7M
FCF Margin
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
0.8%
Q3 25
-2.6%
Q2 25
10.4%
Q1 25
-9.0%
Q4 24
8.8%
5.4%
Q3 24
9.2%
Q2 24
11.6%
2.1%
Q1 24
5.7%
2.2%
Capex Intensity
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
2.3%
Q3 25
4.2%
Q2 25
5.2%
Q1 25
3.7%
Q4 24
2.2%
3.1%
Q3 24
2.7%
Q2 24
3.0%
3.4%
Q1 24
2.7%
2.7%
Cash Conversion
MSM
MSM
OLN
OLN
Q4 25
0.57×
Q3 25
0.61×
Q2 25
2.67×
Q1 25
-71.67×
Q4 24
2.18×
14.03×
Q3 24
Q2 24
2.00×
1.25×
Q1 24
1.27×
1.69×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MSM
MSM

Segment breakdown not available.

OLN
OLN

Chlorinechlorinederivativesandothercoproducts$456.2M27%
Causticsoda$400.2M24%
Militaryandlawenforcement$304.6M18%
Epoxyresins$194.9M12%
Aromaticsandallylics$164.4M10%
Commercial$144.8M9%

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