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Side-by-side financial comparison of SLM Corp (SLM) 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 $560.0M, roughly 1.7× SLM Corp). SLM Corp runs the higher net margin — 55.0% vs 24.2%, a 30.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. Over the past eight quarters, SLM Corp's revenue compounded faster (22.7% CAGR vs 21.0%).

Nikon SLM Solutions AG, headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, is a manufacturer of 3D metal printers listed on the stock market and co-owner of the word mark SLM. The shares of SLM Solutions Group AG have been listed in Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since May 9, 2014.

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.

SLM vs WAT — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WAT
WAT
1.7× larger
WAT
$932.4M
$560.0M
SLM
Higher net margin
SLM
SLM
30.8% more per $
SLM
55.0%
24.2%
WAT
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SLM
SLM
Annualised
SLM
22.7%
21.0%
WAT

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Revenue
$560.0M
$932.4M
Net Profit
$308.0M
$225.2M
Gross Margin
61.1%
Operating Margin
29.0%
Net Margin
55.0%
24.2%
Revenue YoY
6.8%
Net Profit YoY
1.0%
-2.7%
EPS (diluted)
$1.54
$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
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$560.0M
Q4 25
$377.1M
$932.4M
Q3 25
$373.0M
$799.9M
Q2 25
$376.8M
$771.3M
Q1 25
$375.0M
$661.7M
Q4 24
$362.2M
$872.7M
Q3 24
$359.4M
$740.3M
Q2 24
$372.2M
$708.5M
Net Profit
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$308.0M
Q4 25
$233.2M
$225.2M
Q3 25
$135.8M
$148.9M
Q2 25
$71.3M
$147.1M
Q1 25
$304.5M
$121.4M
Q4 24
$111.6M
$231.4M
Q3 24
$-45.2M
$161.5M
Q2 24
$252.0M
$142.7M
Gross Margin
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
61.1%
Q3 25
59.0%
Q2 25
58.3%
Q1 25
58.2%
Q4 24
60.1%
Q3 24
59.3%
Q2 24
59.3%
Operating Margin
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
83.8%
29.0%
Q3 25
49.8%
24.0%
Q2 25
23.3%
24.4%
Q1 25
22.9%
Q4 24
36.5%
33.5%
Q3 24
-16.6%
28.5%
Q2 24
91.0%
26.7%
Net Margin
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
55.0%
Q4 25
61.8%
24.2%
Q3 25
36.4%
18.6%
Q2 25
18.9%
19.1%
Q1 25
81.2%
18.3%
Q4 24
30.8%
26.5%
Q3 24
-12.6%
21.8%
Q2 24
67.7%
20.1%
EPS (diluted)
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$1.54
Q4 25
$1.11
$3.76
Q3 25
$0.63
$2.50
Q2 25
$0.32
$2.47
Q1 25
$1.40
$2.03
Q4 24
$0.53
$3.88
Q3 24
$-0.23
$2.71
Q2 24
$1.11
$2.40

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$5.2B
$587.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$6.2B
$1.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.4B
$2.6B
Total Assets
$29.4B
$5.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
2.53×
0.55×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$5.2B
Q4 25
$4.2B
$587.8M
Q3 25
$3.5B
$459.1M
Q2 25
$4.1B
$367.2M
Q1 25
$3.7B
$382.9M
Q4 24
$4.7B
$325.4M
Q3 24
$4.5B
$331.5M
Q2 24
$5.3B
$327.4M
Total Debt
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$6.2B
Q4 25
$5.4B
$1.4B
Q3 25
$6.8B
Q2 25
$6.4B
Q1 25
$6.1B
Q4 24
$6.4B
$1.6B
Q3 24
$6.0B
Q2 24
$5.4B
Stockholders' Equity
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$2.4B
Q4 25
$2.5B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$2.3B
$2.3B
Q2 25
$2.4B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$2.4B
$2.0B
Q4 24
$2.2B
$1.8B
Q3 24
$2.1B
$1.6B
Q2 24
$2.3B
$1.4B
Total Assets
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
$29.4B
Q4 25
$29.7B
$5.1B
Q3 25
$29.6B
$4.9B
Q2 25
$29.6B
$4.7B
Q1 25
$28.9B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$30.1B
$4.6B
Q3 24
$30.0B
$4.5B
Q2 24
$28.8B
$4.4B
Debt / Equity
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
2.53×
Q4 25
2.19×
0.55×
Q3 25
2.92×
Q2 25
2.70×
Q1 25
2.56×
Q4 24
2.98×
0.89×
Q3 24
2.83×
Q2 24
2.37×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$164.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.73×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-64.5M
$164.6M
Q3 25
$-49.3M
$187.3M
Q2 25
$-138.7M
$41.1M
Q1 25
$-146.1M
$259.6M
Q4 24
$4.5M
$240.1M
Q3 24
$-113.4M
$204.6M
Q2 24
$-143.8M
$54.5M
Cash Conversion
SLM
SLM
WAT
WAT
Q1 26
Q4 25
-0.28×
0.73×
Q3 25
-0.36×
1.26×
Q2 25
-1.95×
0.28×
Q1 25
-0.48×
2.14×
Q4 24
0.04×
1.04×
Q3 24
1.27×
Q2 24
-0.57×
0.38×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

SLM
SLM

Net Interest Income$375.0M67%
Noninterest Income$185.0M33%

WAT
WAT

Segment breakdown not available.

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