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Side-by-side financial comparison of Pool Corporation (POOL) and Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Pool Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.1B vs $699.1M, roughly 1.6× Essential Utilities, Inc.). Essential Utilities, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 19.0% vs 4.7%, a 14.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Essential Utilities, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (15.7% vs 6.2%). Over the past eight quarters, Essential Utilities, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (6.9% 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....

Essential Utilities is an American utility company that has stakes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. The company provides drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure and natural gas. Essential Utilities is the publicly traded ($WTRG) parent company that oversees the continued business of Aqua America and Peoples Natural Gas, who both continue to do business under their original names.

POOL vs WTRG — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
POOL
POOL
1.6× larger
POOL
$1.1B
$699.1M
WTRG
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
WTRG
WTRG
+9.5% gap
WTRG
15.7%
6.2%
POOL
Higher net margin
WTRG
WTRG
14.3% more per $
WTRG
19.0%
4.7%
POOL
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
WTRG
WTRG
Annualised
WTRG
6.9%
-19.8%
POOL

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Revenue
$1.1B
$699.1M
Net Profit
$53.2M
$132.7M
Gross Margin
29.0%
Operating Margin
7.3%
32.5%
Net Margin
4.7%
19.0%
Revenue YoY
6.2%
15.7%
Net Profit YoY
-0.6%
-28.2%
EPS (diluted)
$1.45
$0.46

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
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
$1.1B
Q4 25
$982.2M
$699.1M
Q3 25
$1.5B
$477.0M
Q2 25
$1.8B
$514.9M
Q1 25
$1.1B
$783.6M
Q4 24
$987.5M
$604.4M
Q3 24
$1.4B
$435.3M
Q2 24
$1.8B
$434.4M
Net Profit
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
$53.2M
Q4 25
$31.6M
$132.7M
Q3 25
$127.0M
$92.1M
Q2 25
$194.3M
$107.8M
Q1 25
$53.5M
$283.8M
Q4 24
$37.3M
$184.8M
Q3 24
$125.7M
$69.4M
Q2 24
$192.4M
$75.4M
Gross Margin
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
29.0%
Q4 25
30.1%
Q3 25
29.6%
Q2 25
30.0%
Q1 25
29.2%
Q4 24
29.4%
Q3 24
29.1%
Q2 24
30.0%
Operating Margin
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
7.3%
Q4 25
5.3%
32.5%
Q3 25
12.3%
35.6%
Q2 25
15.3%
36.0%
Q1 25
7.2%
43.2%
Q4 24
6.1%
37.5%
Q3 24
12.3%
35.6%
Q2 24
15.3%
33.4%
Net Margin
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
4.7%
Q4 25
3.2%
19.0%
Q3 25
8.8%
19.3%
Q2 25
10.9%
20.9%
Q1 25
5.0%
36.2%
Q4 24
3.8%
30.6%
Q3 24
8.8%
15.9%
Q2 24
10.9%
17.4%
EPS (diluted)
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
$1.45
Q4 25
$0.86
$0.46
Q3 25
$3.40
$0.33
Q2 25
$5.17
$0.38
Q1 25
$1.42
$1.03
Q4 24
$1.00
$0.67
Q3 24
$3.27
$0.25
Q2 24
$4.99
$0.28

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$64.5M
$34.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$6.9B
Total Assets
$4.0B
$19.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
$64.5M
Q4 25
$34.8M
Q3 25
$6.4M
Q2 25
$25.1M
Q1 25
$20.8M
Q4 24
$9.2M
Q3 24
$8.4M
Q2 24
$18.8M
Total Debt
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
Q4 25
Q3 25
$1.0B
Q2 25
$1.2B
Q1 25
$968.0M
Q4 24
Q3 24
$879.1M
Q2 24
$1.1B
Stockholders' Equity
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.2B
$6.9B
Q3 25
$1.4B
$6.8B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$6.7B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$6.5B
Q4 24
$1.3B
$6.2B
Q3 24
$1.4B
$6.2B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$6.2B
Total Assets
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
$4.0B
Q4 25
$3.6B
$19.5B
Q3 25
$3.5B
$18.9B
Q2 25
$3.7B
$18.6B
Q1 25
$3.7B
$18.3B
Q4 24
$3.4B
$18.0B
Q3 24
$3.4B
$17.6B
Q2 24
$3.6B
$17.3B
Debt / Equity
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
Q4 25
Q3 25
0.76×
Q2 25
0.93×
Q1 25
0.78×
Q4 24
Q3 24
0.61×
Q2 24
0.75×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$25.7M
$206.1M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.48×
1.55×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
$25.7M
Q4 25
$80.1M
$206.1M
Q3 25
$287.3M
$232.5M
Q2 25
$-28.8M
$272.3M
Q1 25
$27.2M
$299.5M
Q4 24
$170.6M
$147.8M
Q3 24
$316.5M
$196.1M
Q2 24
$26.7M
$185.7M
Free Cash Flow
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
Q4 25
$71.9M
Q3 25
$266.6M
Q2 25
$-42.9M
Q1 25
$13.9M
Q4 24
$157.0M
Q3 24
$305.5M
Q2 24
$8.8M
FCF Margin
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
Q4 25
7.3%
Q3 25
18.4%
Q2 25
-2.4%
Q1 25
1.3%
Q4 24
15.9%
Q3 24
21.3%
Q2 24
0.5%
Capex Intensity
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.8%
Q3 25
1.4%
Q2 25
0.8%
Q1 25
1.2%
Q4 24
1.4%
Q3 24
0.8%
Q2 24
1.0%
Cash Conversion
POOL
POOL
WTRG
WTRG
Q1 26
0.48×
Q4 25
2.54×
1.55×
Q3 25
2.26×
2.53×
Q2 25
-0.15×
2.53×
Q1 25
0.51×
1.06×
Q4 24
4.57×
0.80×
Q3 24
2.52×
2.83×
Q2 24
0.14×
2.46×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

POOL
POOL

Segment breakdown not available.

WTRG
WTRG

Natural Gas$371.7M53%
Water$269.4M39%
Wastewater$57.2M8%
Other$2.7M0%

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