EQUIFAX INC vs NELNET, INC., two Credit Services stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Equifax earns 15.3% on equity and 5.9% on assets selling credit data; Nelnet earns 11.2% and 2.9% servicing student loans and investing the proceeds, the data business out-returning the diversified financial holding on both. Nelnet's 111.7% net margin is an investment-gain artifact, so returns are the honest comparison. Equifax trades at 27.9 times earnings against Nelnet's 11.7, the recurring-data premium against the lumpy-servicing discount. Equifax carries 1.16 turns of debt, Nelnet 2.06; both pay small dividends. Equifax's clean, recurring, risk-free revenue commands more than double the multiple for a few points of extra return on equity, the market paying handsomely for predictability over a student-loan servicer's lumpier book.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | EFX | NNI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $158.41 | $134.48 |
| Market cap | $19.1B | $4.9B |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +18.1% | +16.4% |
| P/E | 27.9 | 11.7 |
| P/B | 4.19 | 1.30 |
| P/S | 3.05 | 12.99 |
| EV/EBITDA | 12.9 | 138.8 |
| Revenue growth | +9.6% | +23.6% |
| Operating margin | 17.4% | — |
| Net margin | 11.1% | 111.7% |
| Return on equity | 15.3% | 11.2% |
| Return on assets | 5.8% | 2.9% |
| Dividend yield | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Debt / equity | 1.16 | 2.06 |
| Current ratio | 0.61 | — |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 2.86 | 0.67 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 8 / 9 | 8 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.