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Side-by-side financial comparison of Nordson Corporation (NDSN) and Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Nordson Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($751.8M vs $448.2M, roughly 1.7× Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.). Nordson Corporation runs the higher net margin — 20.2% vs -9.4%, a 29.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Nordson Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (1.0% vs -1.1%). Nordson Corporation produced more free cash flow last quarter ($193.9M vs $-20.6M). Over the past eight quarters, Nordson Corporation's revenue compounded faster (9.0% CAGR vs -13.5%).

Nordson Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures dispensing equipment for consumer and industrial adhesives, sealants and coatings. The company also manufactures equipment used in the testing and inspection of electronic components, technology-based systems for curing and surface treatment processes as well as medical devices and component technologies.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquartered in Dallas. Each Dave & Buster's location has a full-service restaurant, full bar, and a video arcade, the latter of which is known as the "Million Dollar Midway". As of February 2024, the company has 158 locations in the United States, as well as two in Puerto Rico and two in Canada.

NDSN vs PLAY — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NDSN
NDSN
1.7× larger
NDSN
$751.8M
$448.2M
PLAY
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NDSN
NDSN
+2.0% gap
NDSN
1.0%
-1.1%
PLAY
Higher net margin
NDSN
NDSN
29.6% more per $
NDSN
20.2%
-9.4%
PLAY
More free cash flow
NDSN
NDSN
$214.5M more FCF
NDSN
$193.9M
$-20.6M
PLAY
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NDSN
NDSN
Annualised
NDSN
9.0%
-13.5%
PLAY

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Revenue
$751.8M
$448.2M
Net Profit
$151.6M
$-42.1M
Gross Margin
56.3%
85.8%
Operating Margin
28.5%
-3.6%
Net Margin
20.2%
-9.4%
Revenue YoY
1.0%
-1.1%
Net Profit YoY
24.1%
-28.7%
EPS (diluted)
$2.67
$-1.22

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
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$751.8M
$448.2M
Q3 25
$741.5M
$557.4M
Q2 25
$682.9M
$567.7M
Q1 25
$615.4M
$534.5M
Q4 24
$744.5M
$453.0M
Q3 24
$661.6M
$557.1M
Q2 24
$650.6M
$588.1M
Q1 24
$633.2M
$599.0M
Net Profit
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$151.6M
$-42.1M
Q3 25
$125.8M
$11.4M
Q2 25
$112.4M
$21.7M
Q1 25
$94.7M
$9.3M
Q4 24
$122.2M
$-32.7M
Q3 24
$117.3M
$40.3M
Q2 24
$118.2M
$41.4M
Q1 24
$109.6M
$36.1M
Gross Margin
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
56.3%
85.8%
Q3 25
54.8%
86.3%
Q2 25
54.7%
85.5%
Q1 25
54.6%
85.5%
Q4 24
54.1%
85.0%
Q3 24
55.8%
85.3%
Q2 24
56.2%
85.2%
Q1 24
55.0%
84.1%
Operating Margin
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
28.5%
-3.6%
Q3 25
25.3%
9.5%
Q2 25
24.7%
11.1%
Q1 25
22.9%
8.3%
Q4 24
24.0%
1.4%
Q3 24
25.3%
15.2%
Q2 24
25.9%
14.5%
Q1 24
25.2%
14.9%
Net Margin
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
20.2%
-9.4%
Q3 25
17.0%
2.0%
Q2 25
16.5%
3.8%
Q1 25
15.4%
1.7%
Q4 24
16.4%
-7.2%
Q3 24
17.7%
7.2%
Q2 24
18.2%
7.0%
Q1 24
17.3%
6.0%
EPS (diluted)
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$2.67
$-1.22
Q3 25
$2.22
$0.32
Q2 25
$1.97
$0.62
Q1 25
$1.65
$0.32
Q4 24
$2.12
$-0.84
Q3 24
$2.04
$0.99
Q2 24
$2.05
$0.99
Q1 24
$1.90
$0.95

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$108.4M
$13.6M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.0B
$1.6B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$3.0B
$130.8M
Total Assets
$5.9B
$4.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.66×
12.17×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$108.4M
$13.6M
Q3 25
$147.8M
$12.0M
Q2 25
$130.2M
$11.9M
Q1 25
$130.4M
$6.9M
Q4 24
$116.0M
$8.6M
Q3 24
$165.3M
$13.1M
Q2 24
$125.4M
$32.1M
Q1 24
$136.2M
$37.3M
Total Debt
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$2.0B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$2.1B
$1.6B
Q2 25
$2.2B
$1.6B
Q1 25
$2.2B
$1.5B
Q4 24
$2.2B
$1.5B
Q3 24
$1.5B
$1.3B
Q2 24
$1.5B
$1.3B
Q1 24
$1.6B
$1.3B
Stockholders' Equity
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$3.0B
$130.8M
Q3 25
$3.0B
$166.2M
Q2 25
$3.0B
$146.8M
Q1 25
$2.9B
$145.8M
Q4 24
$2.9B
$226.6M
Q3 24
$2.9B
$284.4M
Q2 24
$2.8B
$292.5M
Q1 24
$2.7B
$251.2M
Total Assets
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$5.9B
$4.1B
Q3 25
$6.0B
$4.1B
Q2 25
$6.1B
$4.1B
Q1 25
$5.9B
$4.0B
Q4 24
$6.0B
$3.9B
Q3 24
$5.2B
$3.8B
Q2 24
$5.2B
$3.8B
Q1 24
$5.2B
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
0.66×
12.17×
Q3 25
0.71×
9.57×
Q2 25
0.74×
10.98×
Q1 25
0.75×
10.45×
Q4 24
0.75×
6.58×
Q3 24
0.52×
4.72×
Q2 24
0.55×
4.58×
Q1 24
0.60×
5.33×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$202.9M
$58.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$193.9M
$-20.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
25.8%
-4.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.2%
17.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.34×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$661.1M
$-195.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$202.9M
$58.0M
Q3 25
$238.0M
$34.0M
Q2 25
$119.2M
$95.8M
Q1 25
$159.1M
$108.9M
Q4 24
$96.4M
$-7.2M
Q3 24
$164.8M
$101.8M
Q2 24
$122.6M
$108.8M
Q1 24
$172.4M
$97.2M
Free Cash Flow
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
$193.9M
$-20.6M
Q3 25
$226.4M
$-55.2M
Q2 25
$103.1M
$-58.8M
Q1 25
$137.7M
$-61.0M
Q4 24
$75.8M
$-138.4M
Q3 24
$143.0M
$-14.3M
Q2 24
$108.2M
$-4.2M
Q1 24
$164.8M
$-25.4M
FCF Margin
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
25.8%
-4.6%
Q3 25
30.5%
-9.9%
Q2 25
15.1%
-10.4%
Q1 25
22.4%
-11.4%
Q4 24
10.2%
-30.6%
Q3 24
21.6%
-2.6%
Q2 24
16.6%
-0.7%
Q1 24
26.0%
-4.2%
Capex Intensity
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
1.2%
17.5%
Q3 25
1.6%
16.0%
Q2 25
2.3%
27.2%
Q1 25
3.5%
31.8%
Q4 24
2.8%
29.0%
Q3 24
3.3%
20.8%
Q2 24
2.2%
19.2%
Q1 24
1.2%
20.5%
Cash Conversion
NDSN
NDSN
PLAY
PLAY
Q4 25
1.34×
Q3 25
1.89×
2.98×
Q2 25
1.06×
4.41×
Q1 25
1.68×
11.71×
Q4 24
0.79×
Q3 24
1.41×
2.53×
Q2 24
1.04×
2.63×
Q1 24
1.57×
2.69×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

NDSN
NDSN

Advanced Technology Systems$624.5M83%
Other$127.3M17%

PLAY
PLAY

Game Play Credit Usage$273.1M61%
Food And Nonalcoholic Beverages$115.1M26%
Alcoholic Beverage$53.7M12%
Other Entertainment$6.3M1%
Gift Card Revenue$3.5M1%

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