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Side-by-side financial comparison of Pool Corporation (POOL) and STEPAN CO (SCL). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Pool Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.1B vs $604.5M, roughly 1.9× STEPAN CO). Pool Corporation runs the higher net margin — 4.7% vs 3.3%, a 1.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Pool Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (6.2% vs 1.9%). Over the past eight quarters, STEPAN CO's revenue compounded faster (4.2% CAGR vs -19.8%).
Pool Corporation, doing business as POOLCORP, is the largest distributor of supplies, equipment, and machinery for swimming pools worldwide. The company is organized in Delaware and headquartered in Covington, Louisiana. It serves approximately 125,000 customers and operates 439 sales centers in North America, Europe and Australia. The company receives over half of its revenue from the California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona markets and has benefited from population shifts to warmer climates....
Stepan Company is an American manufacturer of specialty chemicals headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. The company was founded in 1932 by Alfred C. Stepan, Jr., and has approximately 2,000 employees. It is currently run by his grandson, F. Quinn Stepan, Jr. The company describes itself as the largest global merchant manufacturer of anionic surfactants, which are used to enhance the foaming and cleaning capabilities of detergents, shampoos, toothpastes, and cosmetics.
POOL vs SCL — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.1B | $604.5M |
| Net Profit | $53.2M | $19.7M |
| Gross Margin | 29.0% | 10.7% |
| Operating Margin | 7.3% | 4.7% |
| Net Margin | 4.7% | 3.3% |
| Revenue YoY | 6.2% | 1.9% |
| Net Profit YoY | -0.6% | — |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.45 | $0.86 |
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.
| Q1 26 | $1.1B | $604.5M | ||
| Q4 25 | $982.2M | $553.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.5B | $590.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.8B | $594.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.1B | $593.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $987.5M | $525.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.4B | $546.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.8B | $556.4M |
| Q1 26 | $53.2M | $19.7M | ||
| Q4 25 | $31.6M | $5.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $127.0M | $10.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $194.3M | $11.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $53.5M | $19.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $37.3M | $3.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $125.7M | $23.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $192.4M | $9.5M |
| Q1 26 | 29.0% | 10.7% | ||
| Q4 25 | 30.1% | 9.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 29.6% | 12.0% | ||
| Q2 25 | 30.0% | 12.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | 29.2% | 12.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 29.4% | 10.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 29.1% | 13.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 30.0% | 12.5% |
| Q1 26 | 7.3% | 4.7% | ||
| Q4 25 | 5.3% | 1.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 12.3% | 3.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 15.3% | 3.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 7.2% | 4.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | 6.1% | 1.5% | ||
| Q3 24 | 12.3% | 4.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | 15.3% | 3.4% |
| Q1 26 | 4.7% | 3.3% | ||
| Q4 25 | 3.2% | 0.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 8.8% | 1.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 10.9% | 1.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 5.0% | 3.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.8% | 0.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | 8.8% | 4.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 10.9% | 1.7% |
| Q1 26 | $1.45 | $0.86 | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.86 | $0.22 | ||
| Q3 25 | $3.40 | $0.47 | ||
| Q2 25 | $5.17 | $0.50 | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.42 | $0.86 | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.00 | $0.14 | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.27 | $1.03 | ||
| Q2 24 | $4.99 | $0.42 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $64.5M | — |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | — | $328.4M |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | — | $1.2B |
| Total Assets | $4.0B | $2.3B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | 0.28× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $64.5M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | $132.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $118.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $88.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $107.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $99.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $147.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $124.7M |
| Q1 26 | — | $328.4M | ||
| Q4 25 | — | $626.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.0B | $655.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.2B | $658.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $968.0M | $659.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $625.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $879.1M | $688.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.1B | $657.1M |
| Q1 26 | — | $1.2B | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.2B | $1.2B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.4B | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.2B | $1.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.3B | $1.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.4B | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.4B | $1.2B |
| Q1 26 | $4.0B | $2.3B | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.6B | $2.4B | ||
| Q3 25 | $3.5B | $2.4B | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.7B | $2.4B | ||
| Q1 25 | $3.7B | $2.4B | ||
| Q4 24 | $3.4B | $2.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.4B | $2.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.6B | $2.3B |
| Q1 26 | — | 0.28× | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 0.50× | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.76× | 0.53× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.93× | 0.53× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.78× | 0.55× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 0.53× | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.61× | 0.56× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.75× | 0.55× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $25.7M | — |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | — | — |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | — | — |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | — | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 0.48× | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | — | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $25.7M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $80.1M | $60.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $287.3M | $69.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-28.8M | $11.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $27.2M | $6.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $170.6M | $68.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $316.5M | $22.7M | ||
| Q2 24 | $26.7M | $29.5M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $71.9M | $25.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $266.6M | $40.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-42.9M | $-14.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $13.9M | $-25.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $157.0M | $32.1M | ||
| Q3 24 | $305.5M | $-4.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $8.8M | $-208.0K |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 7.3% | 4.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | 18.4% | 6.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | -2.4% | -2.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.3% | -4.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 15.9% | 6.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 21.3% | -0.7% | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.5% | -0.0% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.8% | 6.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.4% | 5.0% | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.8% | 4.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.2% | 5.5% | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.4% | 6.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.8% | 4.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.0% | 5.3% |
| Q1 26 | 0.48× | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 2.54× | 11.99× | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.26× | 6.44× | ||
| Q2 25 | -0.15× | 0.99× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.51× | 0.35× | ||
| Q4 24 | 4.57× | 20.38× | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.52× | 0.96× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.14× | 3.10× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
POOL
Segment breakdown not available.
SCL
| Surfactants | $453.7M | 75% |
| Polymers | $130.0M | 22% |
| Specialty Products | $20.8M | 3% |
