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

SILGAN HOLDINGS INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.5B vs $965.7M, roughly 1.5× MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC). MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC runs the higher net margin — 5.4% vs 1.2%, a 4.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, SILGAN HOLDINGS INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.1% vs 4.0%). SILGAN HOLDINGS INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.2B vs $7.4M). Over the past eight quarters, SILGAN HOLDINGS INC's revenue compounded faster (5.6% 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.

Silgan Holdings Inc. is an American manufacturing company based in Connecticut that produces consumer goods packaging. The company was founded in 1987 by two former executives of Continental Can, Phil Silver and Greg Horrigan – their names contributing to the company name.

MSM vs SLGN — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SLGN
SLGN
1.5× larger
SLGN
$1.5B
$965.7M
MSM
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
SLGN
SLGN
+0.1% gap
SLGN
4.1%
4.0%
MSM
Higher net margin
MSM
MSM
4.1% more per $
MSM
5.4%
1.2%
SLGN
More free cash flow
SLGN
SLGN
$1.2B more FCF
SLGN
$1.2B
$7.4M
MSM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SLGN
SLGN
Annualised
SLGN
5.6%
-3.4%
MSM

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Revenue
$965.7M
$1.5B
Net Profit
$51.8M
$18.2M
Gross Margin
40.7%
17.2%
Operating Margin
7.9%
3.6%
Net Margin
5.4%
1.2%
Revenue YoY
4.0%
4.1%
Net Profit YoY
11.1%
-59.6%
EPS (diluted)
$0.93
$0.18

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
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$965.7M
$1.5B
Q3 25
$978.2M
$2.0B
Q2 25
$971.1M
$1.5B
Q1 25
$1.5B
Q4 24
$928.5M
$1.4B
Q3 24
$1.7B
Q2 24
$979.4M
$1.4B
Q1 24
$935.3M
$1.3B
Net Profit
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$51.8M
$18.2M
Q3 25
$56.5M
$113.3M
Q2 25
$56.8M
$88.9M
Q1 25
$68.0M
Q4 24
$46.6M
$45.1M
Q3 24
$100.1M
Q2 24
$71.7M
$76.1M
Q1 24
$61.8M
$55.2M
Gross Margin
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
40.7%
17.2%
Q3 25
40.4%
16.3%
Q2 25
41.0%
19.4%
Q1 25
18.4%
Q4 24
40.7%
16.9%
Q3 24
16.8%
Q2 24
40.9%
18.5%
Q1 24
41.5%
17.0%
Operating Margin
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
7.9%
3.6%
Q3 25
8.6%
7.4%
Q2 25
8.5%
7.7%
Q1 25
6.0%
Q4 24
7.8%
3.4%
Q3 24
7.2%
Q2 24
10.9%
7.3%
Q1 24
9.7%
5.5%
Net Margin
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
5.4%
1.2%
Q3 25
5.8%
5.6%
Q2 25
5.9%
5.8%
Q1 25
4.6%
Q4 24
5.0%
3.2%
Q3 24
5.7%
Q2 24
7.3%
5.5%
Q1 24
6.6%
4.2%
EPS (diluted)
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$0.93
$0.18
Q3 25
$1.02
$1.06
Q2 25
$1.02
$0.83
Q1 25
$0.63
Q4 24
$0.83
$0.42
Q3 24
$0.93
Q2 24
$1.27
$0.71
Q1 24
$1.10
$0.52

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$40.3M
$1.1B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$214.1M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.4B
$2.3B
Total Assets
$2.5B
$9.4B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.16×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$40.3M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$56.2M
$389.2M
Q2 25
$71.7M
$317.5M
Q1 25
$353.0M
Q4 24
$57.3M
$822.9M
Q3 24
$368.5M
Q2 24
$25.9M
$302.8M
Q1 24
$22.2M
$308.6M
Total Debt
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$214.1M
Q3 25
$168.8M
Q2 25
$285.0M
Q1 25
Q4 24
$289.9M
Q3 24
Q2 24
$299.8M
Q1 24
$294.5M
Stockholders' Equity
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$1.4B
$2.3B
Q3 25
$1.4B
$2.3B
Q2 25
$1.4B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$2.1B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$2.0B
Q3 24
$2.1B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$1.9B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$1.9B
Total Assets
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$2.5B
$9.4B
Q3 25
$2.5B
$9.5B
Q2 25
$2.5B
$9.4B
Q1 25
$8.8B
Q4 24
$2.5B
$8.6B
Q3 24
$7.7B
Q2 24
$2.5B
$7.7B
Q1 24
$2.5B
$7.6B
Debt / Equity
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
0.16×
Q3 25
0.12×
Q2 25
0.21×
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.21×
Q3 24
Q2 24
0.21×
Q1 24
0.21×

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
SLGN
SLGN
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$29.4M
$1.3B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$7.4M
$1.2B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
0.8%
83.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.3%
4.9%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.57×
71.07×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$422.7M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$29.4M
$1.3B
Q3 25
$340.9M
Q2 25
$151.6M
$-221.4M
Q1 25
$-683.4M
Q4 24
$101.9M
$935.8M
Q3 24
$313.0M
Q2 24
$143.5M
$20.9M
Q1 24
$78.7M
$-547.8M
Free Cash Flow
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
$7.4M
$1.2B
Q3 25
$260.8M
Q2 25
$100.7M
$-294.2M
Q1 25
$-766.3M
Q4 24
$81.7M
$865.0M
Q3 24
$252.4M
Q2 24
$114.0M
$-35.3M
Q1 24
$53.4M
$-623.1M
FCF Margin
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
0.8%
83.2%
Q3 25
13.0%
Q2 25
10.4%
-19.1%
Q1 25
-52.2%
Q4 24
8.8%
61.3%
Q3 24
14.5%
Q2 24
11.6%
-2.6%
Q1 24
5.7%
-47.3%
Capex Intensity
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
2.3%
4.9%
Q3 25
4.0%
Q2 25
5.2%
4.7%
Q1 25
5.7%
Q4 24
2.2%
5.0%
Q3 24
3.5%
Q2 24
3.0%
4.1%
Q1 24
2.7%
5.7%
Cash Conversion
MSM
MSM
SLGN
SLGN
Q4 25
0.57×
71.07×
Q3 25
3.01×
Q2 25
2.67×
-2.49×
Q1 25
-10.06×
Q4 24
2.18×
20.77×
Q3 24
3.13×
Q2 24
2.00×
0.27×
Q1 24
1.27×
-9.93×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MSM
MSM

Segment breakdown not available.

SLGN
SLGN

Metal Containers$675.6M46%
Dispensing And Specialty Closures$643.6M44%
Custom Containers$149.4M10%

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