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Side-by-side financial comparison of Smurfit Westrock (SW) and Waste Management (WM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Smurfit Westrock is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($7.6B vs $6.2B, roughly 1.2× Waste Management). Waste Management runs the higher net margin — 11.6% vs 1.3%, a 10.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Waste Management posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (3.5% vs 0.5%). Waste Management produced more free cash flow last quarter ($981.0M vs $612.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Smurfit Westrock's revenue compounded faster (60.8% CAGR vs 7.4%).

Smurfit Westrock plc is an Irish company based in Dublin, Ireland that manufactures corrugated and paper-based packaging. Its stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process and waste-related laws, technologies, and economic mechanisms.

SW vs WM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SW
SW
1.2× larger
SW
$7.6B
$6.2B
WM
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
WM
WM
+2.9% gap
WM
3.5%
0.5%
SW
Higher net margin
WM
WM
10.3% more per $
WM
11.6%
1.3%
SW
More free cash flow
WM
WM
$369.0M more FCF
WM
$981.0M
$612.0M
SW
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SW
SW
Annualised
SW
60.8%
7.4%
WM

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
SW
SW
WM
WM
Revenue
$7.6B
$6.2B
Net Profit
$97.0M
$723.0M
Gross Margin
18.2%
Operating Margin
5.1%
17.9%
Net Margin
1.3%
11.6%
Revenue YoY
0.5%
3.5%
Net Profit YoY
-33.6%
13.5%
EPS (diluted)
$0.18
$1.79

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
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$6.2B
Q4 25
$7.6B
$6.3B
Q3 25
$8.0B
$6.4B
Q2 25
$7.9B
$6.4B
Q1 25
$7.7B
$6.0B
Q4 24
$7.5B
$5.9B
Q3 24
$7.7B
$5.6B
Q2 24
$3.0B
$5.4B
Net Profit
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$723.0M
Q4 25
$97.0M
$742.0M
Q3 25
$246.0M
$603.0M
Q2 25
$-28.0M
$726.0M
Q1 25
$384.0M
$637.0M
Q4 24
$146.0M
$598.0M
Q3 24
$-150.0M
$760.0M
Q2 24
$132.0M
$680.0M
Gross Margin
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
Q4 25
18.2%
41.5%
Q3 25
19.6%
40.5%
Q2 25
19.1%
40.3%
Q1 25
20.6%
39.4%
Q4 24
19.1%
39.7%
Q3 24
17.6%
39.4%
Q2 24
23.3%
39.1%
Operating Margin
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
17.9%
Q4 25
5.1%
18.3%
Q3 25
6.6%
15.3%
Q2 25
3.2%
17.9%
Q1 25
7.2%
16.8%
Q4 24
5.3%
15.6%
Q3 24
0.7%
20.0%
Q2 24
8.2%
18.7%
Net Margin
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
11.6%
Q4 25
1.3%
11.8%
Q3 25
3.1%
9.4%
Q2 25
-0.4%
11.3%
Q1 25
5.0%
10.6%
Q4 24
1.9%
10.1%
Q3 24
-2.0%
13.5%
Q2 24
4.4%
12.6%
EPS (diluted)
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$1.79
Q4 25
$0.18
$1.83
Q3 25
$0.47
$1.49
Q2 25
$-0.05
$1.80
Q1 25
$0.73
$1.58
Q4 24
$-0.12
$1.49
Q3 24
$-0.30
$1.88
Q2 24
$0.51
$1.69

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
SW
SW
WM
WM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$892.0M
$158.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$13.4B
$22.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$18.3B
$10.0B
Total Assets
$45.2B
$45.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.73×
2.28×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$158.0M
Q4 25
$892.0M
$201.0M
Q3 25
$851.0M
$175.0M
Q2 25
$778.0M
$440.0M
Q1 25
$797.0M
$216.0M
Q4 24
$855.0M
$414.0M
Q3 24
$614.0M
Q2 24
$26.8K
$172.0M
Total Debt
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$22.9B
Q4 25
$13.4B
$22.2B
Q3 25
$13.3B
$22.5B
Q2 25
$13.3B
$23.1B
Q1 25
$12.9B
$22.9B
Q4 24
$12.5B
$22.5B
Q3 24
$13.2B
$16.0B
Q2 24
$16.5B
Stockholders' Equity
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$10.0B
Q4 25
$18.3B
$10.0B
Q3 25
$18.4B
$9.5B
Q2 25
$18.3B
$9.2B
Q1 25
$17.9B
$8.7B
Q4 24
$17.4B
$8.3B
Q3 24
$18.0B
$8.0B
Q2 24
$14.5K
$7.5B
Total Assets
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$45.7B
Q4 25
$45.2B
$45.8B
Q3 25
$45.6B
$45.6B
Q2 25
$45.7B
$45.7B
Q1 25
$44.6B
$44.5B
Q4 24
$43.8B
$44.6B
Q3 24
$45.0B
$34.7B
Q2 24
$26.8K
$34.0B
Debt / Equity
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
2.28×
Q4 25
0.73×
2.22×
Q3 25
0.72×
2.36×
Q2 25
0.73×
2.51×
Q1 25
0.72×
2.65×
Q4 24
0.72×
2.73×
Q3 24
0.73×
2.00×
Q2 24
2.21×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
SW
SW
WM
WM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.2B
$1.5B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$612.0M
$981.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
8.1%
15.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
7.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
12.32×
2.08×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.2B
$3.4B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$1.5B
Q4 25
$1.2B
$1.7B
Q3 25
$1.1B
$1.6B
Q2 25
$829.0M
$1.5B
Q1 25
$235.0M
$1.2B
Q4 24
$781.0M
$1.5B
Q3 24
$320.0M
$1.4B
Q2 24
$340.0M
$1.2B
Free Cash Flow
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
$981.0M
Q4 25
$612.0M
$810.0M
Q3 25
$523.0M
$816.0M
Q2 25
$307.0M
$813.0M
Q1 25
$-242.0M
$377.0M
Q4 24
$212.0M
$396.0M
Q3 24
$-192.0M
$577.0M
Q2 24
$163.0M
$487.0M
FCF Margin
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
15.8%
Q4 25
8.1%
12.8%
Q3 25
6.5%
12.7%
Q2 25
3.9%
12.6%
Q1 25
-3.2%
6.3%
Q4 24
2.8%
6.7%
Q3 24
-2.5%
10.3%
Q2 24
5.5%
9.0%
Capex Intensity
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
Q4 25
7.7%
14.1%
Q3 25
7.6%
12.0%
Q2 25
6.6%
11.4%
Q1 25
6.2%
13.8%
Q4 24
7.5%
18.9%
Q3 24
6.7%
13.9%
Q2 24
6.0%
12.3%
Cash Conversion
SW
SW
WM
WM
Q1 26
2.08×
Q4 25
12.32×
2.29×
Q3 25
4.61×
2.64×
Q2 25
2.13×
Q1 25
0.61×
1.90×
Q4 24
5.35×
2.53×
Q3 24
1.79×
Q2 24
2.58×
1.70×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

SW
SW

Packaging$3.3B43%
Other$3.2B43%
Paper$1.1B14%

WM
WM

Segment breakdown not available.

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