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

Veralto is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.4B vs $965.7M, roughly 1.5× MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC). Veralto runs the higher net margin — 17.9% vs 5.4%, a 12.5% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Veralto posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (6.8% vs 4.0%). Veralto produced more free cash flow last quarter ($170.0M vs $7.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Veralto's revenue compounded faster (6.8% 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.

Veralto Corporation is an American technology company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. It produces products related to water analytics, water treatment, marking and coding, and packaging and color.

MSM vs VLTO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
VLTO
VLTO
1.5× larger
VLTO
$1.4B
$965.7M
MSM
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
VLTO
VLTO
+2.8% gap
VLTO
6.8%
4.0%
MSM
Higher net margin
VLTO
VLTO
12.5% more per $
VLTO
17.9%
5.4%
MSM
More free cash flow
VLTO
VLTO
$162.6M more FCF
VLTO
$170.0M
$7.4M
MSM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
VLTO
VLTO
Annualised
VLTO
6.8%
-3.4%
MSM

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Revenue
$965.7M
$1.4B
Net Profit
$51.8M
$254.0M
Gross Margin
40.7%
60.1%
Operating Margin
7.9%
23.8%
Net Margin
5.4%
17.9%
Revenue YoY
4.0%
6.8%
Net Profit YoY
11.1%
12.9%
EPS (diluted)
$0.93
$1.02

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
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
$1.4B
Q4 25
$965.7M
$1.4B
Q3 25
$978.2M
$1.4B
Q2 25
$971.1M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$928.5M
$1.3B
Q3 24
$1.3B
Q2 24
$979.4M
$1.3B
Q1 24
$935.3M
$1.2B
Net Profit
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
$254.0M
Q4 25
$51.8M
$239.0M
Q3 25
$56.5M
$222.0M
Q2 25
$56.8M
$225.0M
Q4 24
$46.6M
$227.0M
Q3 24
$219.0M
Q2 24
$71.7M
$203.0M
Q1 24
$61.8M
$184.0M
Gross Margin
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
60.1%
Q4 25
40.7%
60.1%
Q3 25
40.4%
60.0%
Q2 25
41.0%
60.4%
Q4 24
40.7%
59.6%
Q3 24
59.6%
Q2 24
40.9%
60.1%
Q1 24
41.5%
60.0%
Operating Margin
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
23.8%
Q4 25
7.9%
23.2%
Q3 25
8.6%
22.8%
Q2 25
8.5%
24.2%
Q4 24
7.8%
22.9%
Q3 24
23.4%
Q2 24
10.9%
23.2%
Q1 24
9.7%
23.5%
Net Margin
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
17.9%
Q4 25
5.4%
17.0%
Q3 25
5.8%
16.2%
Q2 25
5.9%
16.9%
Q4 24
5.0%
16.9%
Q3 24
16.7%
Q2 24
7.3%
15.8%
Q1 24
6.6%
14.8%
EPS (diluted)
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
$1.02
Q4 25
$0.93
$0.95
Q3 25
$1.02
$0.89
Q2 25
$1.02
$0.90
Q4 24
$0.83
$0.91
Q3 24
$0.88
Q2 24
$1.27
$0.81
Q1 24
$1.10
$0.74

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

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

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$40.3M
$1.8B
Q3 25
$56.2M
$1.6B
Q2 25
$71.7M
$1.2B
Q4 24
$57.3M
$1.1B
Q3 24
$1.3B
Q2 24
$25.9M
$1.0B
Q1 24
$22.2M
$827.0M
Total Debt
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$214.1M
$2.7B
Q3 25
$168.8M
$2.7B
Q2 25
$285.0M
$2.6B
Q4 24
$289.9M
$2.6B
Q3 24
$2.6B
Q2 24
$299.8M
$2.6B
Q1 24
$294.5M
$2.6B
Stockholders' Equity
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.4B
$2.8B
Q3 25
$1.4B
$2.7B
Q2 25
$1.4B
$2.3B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$2.0B
Q3 24
$2.0B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$1.7B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$1.5B
Total Assets
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$2.5B
$7.4B
Q3 25
$2.5B
$7.2B
Q2 25
$2.5B
$6.6B
Q4 24
$2.5B
$6.4B
Q3 24
$6.3B
Q2 24
$2.5B
$5.9B
Q1 24
$2.5B
$5.7B
Debt / Equity
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.16×
0.94×
Q3 25
0.12×
1.01×
Q2 25
0.21×
1.14×
Q4 24
0.21×
1.28×
Q3 24
1.35×
Q2 24
0.21×
1.57×
Q1 24
0.21×
1.77×

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
VLTO
VLTO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$29.4M
$182.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$7.4M
$170.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
0.8%
12.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.3%
0.8%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.57×
0.72×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$893.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
$182.0M
Q4 25
$29.4M
$270.0M
Q3 25
$339.0M
Q2 25
$151.6M
$157.0M
Q4 24
$101.9M
$285.0M
Q3 24
$224.0M
Q2 24
$143.5M
$251.0M
Q1 24
$78.7M
$115.0M
Free Cash Flow
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
$170.0M
Q4 25
$7.4M
$258.0M
Q3 25
$323.0M
Q2 25
$100.7M
$142.0M
Q4 24
$81.7M
$263.0M
Q3 24
$215.0M
Q2 24
$114.0M
$240.0M
Q1 24
$53.4M
$102.0M
FCF Margin
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
12.0%
Q4 25
0.8%
18.4%
Q3 25
23.6%
Q2 25
10.4%
10.7%
Q4 24
8.8%
19.6%
Q3 24
16.4%
Q2 24
11.6%
18.6%
Q1 24
5.7%
8.2%
Capex Intensity
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
0.8%
Q4 25
2.3%
0.9%
Q3 25
1.2%
Q2 25
5.2%
1.1%
Q4 24
2.2%
1.6%
Q3 24
0.7%
Q2 24
3.0%
0.9%
Q1 24
2.7%
1.0%
Cash Conversion
MSM
MSM
VLTO
VLTO
Q1 26
0.72×
Q4 25
0.57×
1.13×
Q3 25
1.53×
Q2 25
2.67×
0.70×
Q4 24
2.18×
1.26×
Q3 24
1.02×
Q2 24
2.00×
1.24×
Q1 24
1.27×
0.63×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

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