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Side-by-side financial comparison of Quanex Building Products CORP (NX) and Waters Corporation (WAT). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Waters Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($932.4M vs $495.3M, roughly 1.9× Quanex Building Products CORP). Waters Corporation runs the higher net margin — 24.2% vs -55.7%, a 79.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Quanex Building Products CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (76.7% vs 6.8%). Over the past eight quarters, Quanex Building Products CORP's revenue compounded faster (29.5% CAGR vs 21.0%).

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.

Waters Corporation is an American company headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts that provides analytical instruments and software used for chromatography, mass spectrometry, laboratory informatics, and rheometry by the life sciences, materials, and food industries.

NX vs WAT — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WAT
WAT
1.9× larger
WAT
$932.4M
$495.3M
NX
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NX
NX
+69.8% gap
NX
76.7%
6.8%
WAT
Higher net margin
WAT
WAT
79.9% more per $
WAT
24.2%
-55.7%
NX
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NX
NX
Annualised
NX
29.5%
21.0%
WAT

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Revenue
$495.3M
$932.4M
Net Profit
$-276.0M
$225.2M
Gross Margin
27.9%
61.1%
Operating Margin
-54.7%
29.0%
Net Margin
-55.7%
24.2%
Revenue YoY
76.7%
6.8%
Net Profit YoY
-1188.8%
-2.7%
EPS (diluted)
$-6.04
$3.76

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
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$932.4M
Q3 25
$495.3M
$799.9M
Q2 25
$452.5M
$771.3M
Q1 25
$400.0M
$661.7M
Q4 24
$492.2M
$872.7M
Q3 24
$280.3M
$740.3M
Q2 24
$266.2M
$708.5M
Q1 24
$239.2M
$636.8M
Net Profit
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$225.2M
Q3 25
$-276.0M
$148.9M
Q2 25
$20.5M
$147.1M
Q1 25
$-14.9M
$121.4M
Q4 24
$-13.9M
$231.4M
Q3 24
$25.4M
$161.5M
Q2 24
$15.4M
$142.7M
Q1 24
$6.2M
$102.2M
Gross Margin
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
61.1%
Q3 25
27.9%
59.0%
Q2 25
29.0%
58.3%
Q1 25
23.1%
58.2%
Q4 24
60.1%
Q3 24
25.3%
59.3%
Q2 24
24.9%
59.3%
Q1 24
21.5%
58.9%
Operating Margin
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
29.0%
Q3 25
-54.7%
24.0%
Q2 25
9.0%
24.4%
Q1 25
-1.7%
22.9%
Q4 24
0.6%
33.5%
Q3 24
8.4%
28.5%
Q2 24
7.8%
26.7%
Q1 24
3.3%
21.0%
Net Margin
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
24.2%
Q3 25
-55.7%
18.6%
Q2 25
4.5%
19.1%
Q1 25
-3.7%
18.3%
Q4 24
-2.8%
26.5%
Q3 24
9.0%
21.8%
Q2 24
5.8%
20.1%
Q1 24
2.6%
16.0%
EPS (diluted)
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$3.76
Q3 25
$-6.04
$2.50
Q2 25
$0.44
$2.47
Q1 25
$-0.32
$2.03
Q4 24
$-0.52
$3.88
Q3 24
$0.77
$2.71
Q2 24
$0.46
$2.40
Q1 24
$0.19
$1.72

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$66.3M
$587.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$695.6M
$1.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$717.4M
$2.6B
Total Assets
$2.0B
$5.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.97×
0.55×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$587.8M
Q3 25
$66.3M
$459.1M
Q2 25
$62.6M
$367.2M
Q1 25
$50.0M
$382.9M
Q4 24
$97.7M
$325.4M
Q3 24
$94.0M
$331.5M
Q2 24
$56.1M
$327.4M
Q1 24
$44.4M
$338.2M
Total Debt
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$1.4B
Q3 25
$695.6M
Q2 25
$746.4M
Q1 25
$725.2M
Q4 24
$737.2M
$1.6B
Q3 24
$51.4M
Q2 24
$51.5M
Q1 24
$61.6M
Stockholders' Equity
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$2.6B
Q3 25
$717.4M
$2.3B
Q2 25
$1.0B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$972.1M
$2.0B
Q4 24
$1.0B
$1.8B
Q3 24
$594.1M
$1.6B
Q2 24
$566.1M
$1.4B
Q1 24
$555.0M
$1.3B
Total Assets
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$5.1B
Q3 25
$2.0B
$4.9B
Q2 25
$2.3B
$4.7B
Q1 25
$2.2B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$2.3B
$4.6B
Q3 24
$872.5M
$4.5B
Q2 24
$837.2M
$4.4B
Q1 24
$813.4M
$4.5B
Debt / Equity
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
0.55×
Q3 25
0.97×
Q2 25
0.75×
Q1 25
0.75×
Q4 24
0.73×
0.89×
Q3 24
0.09×
Q2 24
0.09×
Q1 24
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
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$60.7M
$164.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$46.2M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
9.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.9%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.73×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$27.5M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
$164.6M
Q3 25
$60.7M
$187.3M
Q2 25
$28.5M
$41.1M
Q1 25
$-12.5M
$259.6M
Q4 24
$5.5M
$240.1M
Q3 24
$46.4M
$204.6M
Q2 24
$33.1M
$54.5M
Q1 24
$3.9M
$262.9M
Free Cash Flow
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
Q3 25
$46.2M
Q2 25
$13.6M
Q1 25
$-24.1M
Q4 24
$-8.2M
Q3 24
$40.1M
Q2 24
$25.5M
Q1 24
$-5.7M
FCF Margin
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
Q3 25
9.3%
Q2 25
3.0%
Q1 25
-6.0%
Q4 24
-1.7%
Q3 24
14.3%
Q2 24
9.6%
Q1 24
-2.4%
Capex Intensity
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
Q3 25
2.9%
Q2 25
3.3%
Q1 25
2.9%
Q4 24
2.8%
Q3 24
2.2%
Q2 24
2.9%
Q1 24
4.0%
Cash Conversion
NX
NX
WAT
WAT
Q4 25
0.73×
Q3 25
1.26×
Q2 25
1.39×
0.28×
Q1 25
2.14×
Q4 24
1.04×
Q3 24
1.83×
1.27×
Q2 24
2.15×
0.38×
Q1 24
0.62×
2.57×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

NX
NX

Window And Door Hardware$150.3M30%
Screens$76.8M16%
Window Profiles$68.2M14%
Spacers$54.7M11%
Wood Solutions$53.4M11%
Seals And Gaskets$29.9M6%
Access Solutions$27.4M6%
Mixing Solution$21.5M4%
Solar$5.3M1%
Product Type Other$3.3M1%

WAT
WAT

Segment breakdown not available.

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