How to Compare Companies Side-by-Side: Free Peer Analysis Tool (20 Metrics + 8-Quarter Trends)

Last Updated: November 30, 2025 Data Currency: Q3 2025 SEC filings (10-Q and 10-K forms)

The Manual Comparison Problem

Sarah, a fundamental investor, wanted to compare five semiconductor companies (NVDA, AMD, INTC, AVGO, QCOM) to understand which offered the best combination of profitability and growth trajectory.

Her traditional process:

1. Downloaded 5× 10-Q filings (250+ pages each = 1,250 pages total)
2. Built Excel model to normalize TTM metrics across different fiscal periods
3. Manually calculated ROIC, operating margins, revenue growth rates
4. No historical context — Is ROIC improving or declining? No way to tell without reading 20 quarterly filings
5. Total time: 4+ hours of tedious work

And the worst part? She only had current snapshot values. Is NVDA's 30% ROIC trend improving or deteriorating? The static numbers couldn't tell her.

There's a better way—and it's free.

What Is Peer Comparison Analysis?

Peer comparison (also called comp analysis or competitive benchmarking) is the side-by-side evaluation of financial metrics across similar companies to assess relative performance, valuation, and competitive positioning.

Why It Matters

Financial metrics are meaningless in isolation. Context is everything:

• Valuation: Is a 25 P/E ratio high or low? Depends on peer average (Tech median: 28, Utilities median: 16)
• Quality: Is 18% ROIC good? Tech median is 15%, so yes—but Utilities median is 6%, so it would be exceptional there
• Trends: Revenue growing 10% YoY sounds healthy until you see peers growing 15% (you're losing market share)
• Risk: Debt/EBITDA rising to 3.5x while peers are deleveraging to 2.0x signals financial stress

Traditional Approaches (And Their Costs)

1. Manual Excel Comparison

• Time: 3-5 hours per comparison
• Cost: Your opportunity cost
• Pros: Full control, custom formulas
• Cons: Tedious data entry, prone to errors, no historical trends

2. Stock Rover

• Time: 30 minutes setup + learning curve
• Cost: $199/year
• Pros: 500+ metrics, 10+ years history, advanced screeners
• Cons: Expensive for individual investors, 1-2 temporal dimensions per metric

3. Finviz

• Time: 5 minutes
• Cost: Free (or $40/month Pro)
• Pros: Fast screener, great for quick scans
• Cons: No historical trends, current snapshot only, technical analysis focus

4. Bloomberg Terminal

• Time: Instant (if you know Bloomberg function codes)
• Cost: $24,000/year
• Pros: Everything imaginable
• Cons: Institutional-only pricing

The Gap in the Market

No free tool offers:

• ✅ Historical trend analysis (8 quarters minimum)
• ✅ Customizable metric selection
• ✅ SEC-filing backed data (no estimates)
• ✅ Temporal dimension analysis (YoY, CAGR, trend, median, volatility)

Until now.

Introducing MetricDuck's Peer Comparison Tool

MetricDuck's peer comparison tool was built for fundamental long-term investors who need to answer one question: Which company in this industry offers the best risk-adjusted returns based on business fundamentals?

What It Does

Automatically Suggests Peers

• Matches by industry (SIC code) + market cap range
• 2-11 competitors per target company
• Customizable — add your own peers if you disagree with suggestions

Compare 20+ Metrics Across All Companies

• Valuation (4): Market Cap, P/E, P/B, FCF Yield
• Growth (3): Revenue TTM, Revenue YoY, Revenue 3Y CAGR
• Profitability (7): ROIC, ROIIC, Gross/Operating/Net Margins, ROE
• Efficiency (5): CapEx Intensity, Debt/Equity, Net Debt/EBITDA, Interest Coverage
• Filing (1): Latest 10-Q/10-K filing date + SEC link

5-7 Temporal Dimensions Per Metric ⭐ Core Differentiator

• TTM (Trailing Twelve Months): Current value
• TTM.YOY: Year-over-year momentum
• Q.TREND8: 8-quarter linear regression slope (is it improving or declining?)
• Q.MED8: 8-quarter median (filters out one-time spikes)
• Q.STDV8: 8-quarter standard deviation (volatility/consistency)
• 8Q Sparkline: Visual chart showing the trend
• TTM.CAGR3: 3-year compound annual growth rate (where applicable)

Example: ROIC Analysis

Tool	What You See
Stock Rover	ROIC: 15%
Finviz	ROIC: 15%
Yahoo Finance	ROIC: 15%
MetricDuck	ROIC: 15% (↑2.3% YoY, trending +0.18/qtr, median 14.2%, σ=1.2%, 📈 [sparkline])

This is the difference. We don't just show what the metric is—we show where it's going and how consistent it's been.

What Makes It Unique

1. Temporal Dimensions = Our Moat

Competitors offer 1-2 time variations per metric. We systematically provide 5-7 temporal dimensions for every core metric.

This is an architectural advantage: we built automatic temporal dimension generation. Add 1 base metric → get 5 temporal variations automatically. This scales: 20 base metrics × 5 temporal dimensions = 100 analytical data points (vs competitors' 20-40).

2. 100% Fundamental Investing Focus

Zero technical analysis clutter. Zero day trading features. Zero real-time price alerts.

Just: Financial statement metrics that matter for 3-10 year holds. Target user: Warren Buffett disciples, not swing traders.

3. SEC-Direct XBRL Data (No Estimates)

Competitors mix filed data + analyst estimates. We show only what companies filed with SEC.

• No forward P/E (uses estimates) — only TTM P/E (filed data)
• No consensus revenue (analyst guesses) — only reported revenue (10-Q/10-K)
• Credibility moat: "This is what the company actually reported under oath"

4. Free for S&P 500

$0 vs $199-400/year. But NOT because we're "cheaper"—because we're focused (fewer companies, deeper analysis per company).

How to Use: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Step 1: Navigate to Any Company's Peers Page

Visit: metricduck.com/company/AAPL/peers
Replace AAPL with any ticker: MSFT, TSLA, NVDA, LMT, etc.

What You'll See:

• Target company (highlighted in blue header row)
• 2-11 auto-suggested peers (similar industry + market cap)
• 11 default metrics (most commonly used for initial analysis)

Step 2: Review Auto-Suggested Peers

Example: Apple (AAPL)

Suggested peers: MSFT, GOOGL, META, AMZN

Why these?

• Same sector (Technology)
• Similar market cap ($2-3 trillion range)
• SIC code overlap (computer programming, data processing)

Not shown: Small-cap tech (too different in scale), unrelated sectors (automotive, pharma)

Peer Selection Logic:

1. Same 4-digit SIC code = highest priority
2. Market cap within ±50% to ±250% range
3. Fallback to 2-digit SIC (broader sector) if insufficient industry matches
4. Geographic preference: US-listed companies prioritized

Step 3: Add Custom Peers

Click "+ Add" column header to search for additional companies.

Example Use Case: You're analyzing Apple but want to include NVDA (semiconductor angle) even though auto-suggest focuses on software/services.

How It Works:

• Type ticker symbol or company name
• Select from dropdown
• Max 10 total peers (prevents information overload)
• URL auto-updates: ?peers=AAPL,MSFT,NVDA,AMD

Pro Tip: Bookmark the URL to save your custom peer set.

Step 4: Customize Metrics

Click "Add metrics" row at the bottom of the table.

Opens modal with:

• Grid of 20+ available metrics
• Search/filter functionality
• Toggle select/deselect
• "Apply" to update view

Example Configurations by Investor Type:

Growth Investors:

• Revenue Growth YoY
• Revenue 3Y CAGR
• Operating Margin (and its 8Q trend)
• Gross Margin
• R&D intensity (CapEx/Revenue)

Value Investors:

• P/E Ratio
• P/B Ratio
• FCF Yield
• ROIC
• Net Debt/EBITDA

Quality-Focused Investors:

• ROIC + ROIC 8Q trend
• ROIIC (incremental ROIC)
• Operating Margin + 8Q trend
• Net Debt/EBITDA + 8Q trend
• Interest Coverage

Step 5: Drill Into Historical Trends

Metrics with clickable sparklines (modal expansion):

• Revenue (TTM)
• ROIC
• Operating Margin
• FCF Yield
• Net Debt/EBITDA

Click sparkline to see:

• Large interactive chart
• Quarterly table with values
• QoQ changes (quarter-over-quarter)
• Trend indicators (↑ improving, → stable, ↓ declining)

Example Insight: Intel ROIC Trend

Quarter	ROIC	QoQ Change	Status
Q3 2025	5.2%	-0.8%	↓ Declining
Q2 2025	6.0%	-1.2%	↓ Declining
Q1 2025	7.2%	-0.9%	↓ Declining
Q4 2024	8.1%	-1.1%	↓ Declining
Q3 2024	9.2%	-0.7%	↓ Declining
Q2 2024	9.9%	-0.6%	↓ Declining
Q1 2024	10.5%	-1.2%	↓ Declining
Q4 2023	11.7%	—	—

8Q Trend: -0.82% per quarter (linear regression slope) Interpretation: Intel's capital efficiency is deteriorating consistently—major red flag.

Compare to AMD's ROIC trend over same period: +0.31% per quarter (improving).

This single view tells you more about competitive dynamics than 100 pages of earnings call transcripts.

Real-World Example: Comparing Defense Contractors

Scenario: Which defense contractor has the best combination of profitability, growth, and improving fundamentals?

Companies: Lockheed Martin (LMT), RTX Corporation (RTX), Northrop Grumman (NOC), General Dynamics (GD)

Step-by-Step Analysis

1. Navigate to: metricduck.com/company/LMT/peers

2. Auto-suggested peers: RTX, NOC, GD, Boeing (BA), L3Harris (LHX)

3. Remove Boeing (crisis mode, not comparable) and L3Harris (smaller scale)

4. Select focus metrics:

• ROIC (+ 8Q trend)
• Operating Margin (+ 8Q trend)
• Revenue Growth YoY
• Net Debt/EBITDA

5. View results:

Source: SEC 10-Q filings Q3 2025 (LMT, NOC, GD) and RTX Q3 2025

Key Insights

Lockheed Martin (LMT):

• Highest current ROIC (30.0%) — exceptional capital efficiency
• But declining trend (-1.8% per quarter) — peak profitability may be behind
• Slow growth (2.3% YoY) — mature F-35 program, limited new revenue drivers
• Investment implication: Quality stock, but watch for further ROIC deterioration

Northrop Grumman (NOC):

• Best incremental ROIC (+0.42% per quarter trend) — improving fundamentals
• Strong growth (6.4% YoY) — B-21 Raider ramp, space systems expansion
• Rising margins (11.9% operating margin, trending up)
• Investment implication: Best quality trajectory — fundamentals improving

RTX Corporation (RTX):

• Highest revenue growth (8.1% YoY) — commercial aerospace recovery + defense demand
• Lower profitability (8.5% ROIC) — Pratt & Whitney engine recalls impacting margins
• Stable trend (-0.05%/qtr, essentially flat)
• Investment implication: Growth story, but profitability lags peers

General Dynamics (GD):

• Middle of pack across all metrics
• Consistent performer (14.2% ROIC, stable)
• Submarines + Gulfstream business mix provides stability
• Investment implication: Defensive, low-volatility option

The Verdict

If you prioritize:

• Current quality: LMT (30% ROIC)
• Improving fundamentals: NOC (ROIC trending +0.42%/qtr)
• Revenue growth: RTX (8.1% YoY)
• Stability: GD (consistent across all metrics)

Time saved:

• Manual analysis (download 16 10-Q filings, build models, calculate trends): 5 hours
• MetricDuck analysis: 3 minutes

Value created: You discovered NOC's improving ROIC trend (↑ +0.42%/qtr) that wouldn't be visible in static snapshot comparisons. This is alpha.

How MetricDuck Compares to Other Tools

Honest Competitive Comparison

What We DON'T Compete On (Be Honest)

❌ Number of metrics — We have 20 focused metrics vs Stock Rover's 500+ (we lose on breadth) ❌ Historical depth — We have 8 quarters vs their 10+ years (we lose on timespan) ❌ Day trading features — No technical analysis, real-time data, charting tools (intentional) ❌ Company coverage — S&P 500 only vs their all US stocks / global coverage

What We DOMINATE On (Our Unique Moat)

✅ Temporal dimensions — 5-7 per metric vs competitors' 1-2 (depth over breadth) ✅ Systematic trend analysis — 8Q trend, median, std dev applied uniformly ✅ 100% fundamental focus — Zero technical analysis noise ✅ SEC-direct XBRL — No estimates, only filed data ✅ Free for S&P 500 — $0 vs $199-400/year

When to Use MetricDuck

✅ Best fit:

• Fundamental long-term investing (3-10 year holds)
• Focus on 10-20 core quality metrics
• Need to understand trends (improving vs declining)
• Want temporal dimension analysis (YoY, CAGR, median, volatility)
• Budget-conscious ($0 vs $200-400/year)
• S&P 500 coverage sufficient

❌ Not for you:

• Need 500+ metrics (Stock Rover)
• Need 10+ years historical data (Koyfin, TIKR)
• Day trading or technical analysis (Finviz, TradingView)
• International markets / small-cap coverage (TIKR, Koyfin)
• Custom formula builder (Stock Rover Pro)

When to Use Competitors

Stock Rover ($199/year):

• Power users needing 500+ metrics
• Advanced screeners with complex multi-condition filters
• 10+ years historical backtesting
• Custom formula builder

Koyfin ($348/year):

• Professional analysts
• Global market coverage
• Custom dashboards and workspaces
• Alternative data integration

Finviz (Free / $40/month Pro):

• Day traders needing real-time data
• Technical analysis charts
• Heat maps and visual screeners
• Pre-market movers

Bloomberg Terminal ($24,000/year):

• Institutional requirements
• Real-time data feeds
• Fixed income, derivatives, FX
• Professional news terminal

The Positioning: Depth over breadth for fundamental investors—fewer metrics, but each metric analyzed in 5+ temporal dimensions that competitors don't offer.

Understanding Temporal Dimensions (The Secret Sauce)

Most investors look at current snapshot values. This is like driving a car by looking only at the speedometer right now—it tells you nothing about whether you're accelerating or decelerating.

The Five Temporal Dimensions

1. TTM (Trailing Twelve Months) — Current Value

• What: Sum of last 4 quarters (or most recent annual data)
• Use: The "snapshot" value everyone sees
• Example: ROIC = 15.3%

2. TTM.YOY (Year-over-Year) — Momentum

• What: Change from same period last year
• Use: Is the metric improving or deteriorating?
• Example: ROIC YoY = +2.3% (improving from 13.0% to 15.3%)

3. Q.TREND8 (8-Quarter Trend) — Direction

• What: Linear regression slope over last 8 quarters
• Use: Systematic improvement vs decline
• Example: ROIC 8Q Trend = +0.31% per quarter (consistent improvement)

4. Q.MED8 (8-Quarter Median) — Consistency

• What: Median value over last 8 quarters
• Use: Filters out one-time spikes or drops
• Example: ROIC Median = 14.2% (current 15.3% is above baseline)

5. Q.STDV8 (8-Quarter Std Dev) — Volatility

• What: Standard deviation over last 8 quarters
• Use: How consistent vs volatile is this metric?
• Example: ROIC Std Dev = 1.2% (low volatility = stable)

Why This Matters: Real Example

Company A vs Company B — Both Have 15% ROIC

Dimension	Company A	Company B
TTM	15.0%	15.0%
TTM.YOY	+3.2%	-2.8%
Q.TREND8	+0.42%/qtr	-0.38%/qtr
Q.MED8	13.1%	16.8%
Q.STDV8	0.9%	2.4%

Without temporal analysis: Both companies look identical (15% ROIC).

With temporal analysis:

• Company A: Improving trend (+0.42%/qtr), current ROIC above median (15% vs 13.1%), low volatility (0.9%) → Buy signal
• Company B: Declining trend (-0.38%/qtr), current ROIC below median (15% vs 16.8%), high volatility (2.4%) → Sell signal

This is the difference between alpha and losing money.

Stock Rover and Finviz would show "15% = 15%" and you'd have no idea which to pick. MetricDuck shows the trajectory and quality of that 15%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I compare two companies' financial metrics side-by-side? A: Use MetricDuck's peer comparison tool at metricduck.com/company/[TICKER]/peers. Automatically compares 20+ metrics including ROIC, margins, growth rates, and valuation across similar companies. Free for all S&P 500 stocks with 8-quarter historical trends and temporal dimensions (YoY, CAGR, median, trend analysis).

Q: What's the best free tool to compare competitor stocks? A: MetricDuck offers free peer comparison for S&P 500 companies with 20+ customizable metrics and 5-7 temporal dimensions per metric (TTM, YoY, 8Q trend, median, standard deviation). Alternatives include Finviz (limited to current data) and Yahoo Finance (basic comparison). Stock Rover ($199/year) offers more metrics but fewer temporal dimensions.

Q: How many companies can I compare at once? A: Compare 1 target company against up to 10 peers simultaneously (11 total). This prevents information overload while providing comprehensive competitive context. Add/remove peers dynamically using the '+ Add' feature.

Q: Which metrics should I use to compare companies in the same industry? A: Start with: (1) ROIC to measure capital efficiency, (2) Operating Margin for profitability, (3) Revenue Growth YoY for market share trends, (4) Net Debt/EBITDA for financial health. Customize based on sector—tech focuses on growth, utilities on stability, financials on asset quality.

Q: Can I see historical trends or just current metrics? A: Yes—MetricDuck provides 5-7 temporal dimensions for each metric: TTM (current), TTM.YOY (momentum), Q.TREND8 (8-quarter direction), Q.MED8 (consistency), Q.STDV8 (volatility), and visual sparklines. This reveals improving vs declining trends that current snapshots miss.

Q: How does MetricDuck compare to Stock Rover or Koyfin? A: MetricDuck: Free, 20+ metrics, 5-7 temporal dimensions per metric, 100% fundamental focus. Stock Rover: $199/year, 500+ metrics, 1-2 temporal dimensions. Koyfin: $348/year, advanced tools. MetricDuck is best for fundamental investors focused on 10-20 core metrics; competitors suit power users needing deep historical data.

Q: Are peer suggestions automatic or do I need to select them? A: Both. MetricDuck automatically suggests 2-11 similar companies based on industry classification (SIC code) and market cap range. You can accept suggestions or add custom peers using the search feature. Suggestions update based on target company.

Q: What's the difference between ROIC and ROE in peer comparison? A: ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) measures returns on all capital (debt + equity), ideal for comparing companies with different capital structures. ROE (Return on Equity) only considers equity returns, favoring leveraged companies. Use ROIC for apples-to-apples peer comparison across varying debt levels.

Q: Can I compare companies in different industries? A: Yes, but interpret cautiously. Tech companies average 18% ROIC vs utilities 6%—different industry economics. MetricDuck allows custom peer selection for cross-industry comparison, but auto-suggestions prioritize same-industry peers for valid benchmarking.

Q: How often is peer comparison data updated? A: Updated within 48 hours of SEC 10-Q/10-K filings. TTM (trailing twelve months) metrics refresh quarterly. Last updated timestamp shown below comparison table. Historical 8-quarter data remains stable between filings for trend consistency.

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Methodology & Data Sources

Primary Data Sources:

• SEC Edgar XBRL filings (10-K annual, 10-Q quarterly)
• Market data: Real-time market capitalization via exchange feeds
• Industry classification: SIC codes from SEC company filings

Peer Selection Algorithm:

1. Extract target company's SIC code (4-digit) + market cap
2. Query all companies with matching 4-digit SIC code
3. Filter by market cap range (0.5x to 2.5x target company)
4. Rank by exact SIC match score, then sector match
5. Return top 2-11 matches (limited to prevent overload)

Metric Calculations (SEC XBRL Tags):

• ROIC: NOPAT ÷ (Total Debt + Shareholders' Equity - Cash)
  • NOPAT = Operating Income × (1 - Effective Tax Rate)
• Operating Margin: Operating Income ÷ Revenue
• Revenue Growth YoY: (Current Quarter Revenue - Same Quarter Last Year) ÷ Prior Year
• 8-Quarter Trend: Linear regression slope coefficient on 8 quarterly values
• 8-Quarter Median: Median of 8 quarterly values
• 8-Quarter Std Dev: Standard deviation of 8 quarterly values

Update Frequency:

• Filing-driven: Data updated 24-48 hours after 10-Q/10-K SEC filing
• TTM metrics: Recalculated automatically on each new quarterly filing
• Historical data: Locked to specific fiscal quarters (Q3 2024 data doesn't change retroactively)

Data Quality Controls:

• 100% SEC-sourced XBRL data (no estimates)
• XBRL validation checks for tag completeness
• Manual spot-checks on S&P 100 companies quarterly
• Outlier detection (values >3 standard deviations flagged for review)

Independent Verification: All metrics are replicable using publicly available SEC EDGAR data. For detailed calculation methodology, see Metrics Documentation.

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Try It Now: Example Comparisons

Technology:

• Apple vs Microsoft vs Google vs Meta

Semiconductors:

• NVIDIA vs AMD vs Intel vs Broadcom

Defense:

• Lockheed vs Raytheon vs Northrop vs General Dynamics

Retail:

• Walmart vs Target vs Costco vs Amazon

Financials:

• JPMorgan vs Bank of America vs Wells Fargo vs Citi

No credit card required. No trial expiration. Free forever for S&P 500.

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Disclaimer

This analysis provides tools for comparative financial analysis only, not investment recommendations. MetricDuck has no positions in any securities mentioned and receives no compensation from any companies.

This is not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Financial metrics can be affected by accounting choices, one-time events, and business cycles. Consult qualified financial advisors before making investment decisions.

Data Limitations:

• S&P 500 coverage only (no small-cap, international, or private companies)
• 8-quarter historical window (some metrics require 10-K annual filings for deeper history)
• TTM metrics only (no quarterly point-in-time for all metrics)

See full Terms of Service and Data Policy for details.

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Next Update: Quarterly after Q4 2025 earnings season (February-March 2026)

Want deeper analysis? Explore our ROIC Stock Screening Framework or Defense Contractor ROIC Rankings 2025 for sector-specific deep dives.