NELNET, INC. vs TransUnion, two Credit Services stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
The single figure that clarifies this pair is return on assets: TransUnion at 5.85% against Nelnet's 2.94%, the credit bureau's asset-light data model earning double the diversified financial holding per dollar deployed. TransUnion earns 14.3% on equity against Nelnet's 11.2%, nets 14.9% of revenue (against Nelnet's investment-gain-inflated 111.7% artifact). TransUnion trades at 19.5 times earnings against Nelnet's 11.7, the recurring-data premium; both carry similar leverage and pay small dividends. A focused credit-data toll booth sits beside a diversified student-loan servicer-investor; TransUnion earns more per asset dollar and trades for more per earnings dollar, the market consistently paying up for clean recurring revenue over a lumpier balance-sheet holding.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | NNI | TRU |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $134.48 | $70.34 |
| Market cap | $4.9B | $13.7B |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +16.4% | +23.5% |
| P/E | 11.7 | 19.5 |
| P/B | 1.30 | 2.78 |
| P/S | 12.99 | 2.89 |
| EV/EBITDA | 138.8 | 12.9 |
| Revenue growth | +23.6% | +11.0% |
| Operating margin | — | 19.6% |
| Net margin | 111.7% | 14.9% |
| Return on equity | 11.2% | 14.3% |
| Return on assets | 2.9% | 5.8% |
| Dividend yield | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Debt / equity | 2.06 | 1.14 |
| Current ratio | — | 1.93 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 0.67 | 2.07 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 8 / 9 | 5 / 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.