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Side-by-side financial comparison of ACACIA RESEARCH CORP (ACTG) and NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP (NRC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
ACACIA RESEARCH CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($50.1M vs $35.2M, roughly 1.4× NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP). ACACIA RESEARCH CORP runs the higher net margin — 6.8% vs 5.1%, a 1.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ACACIA RESEARCH CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (2.6% vs -4.6%). Over the past eight quarters, ACACIA RESEARCH CORP's revenue compounded faster (43.6% CAGR vs -0.2%).
Acacia Research Corporation is a publicly traded American company based in New York City. It acquires and operates businesses in industries including the technology, energy, and industrial/manufacturing sectors. Acacia has a strategic relationship with Starboard Value, LP, the company's controlling shareholder. The company has been characterized as a patent troll.
National Research Corporation, doing business as NRC Health, is an American healthcare company which provides healthcare products and subscription-based solutions in United States and Canada. It was founded in 1981, and is based in Lincoln, Nebraska.
ACTG vs NRC — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $50.1M | $35.2M |
| Net Profit | $3.4M | $1.8M |
| Gross Margin | 12.8% | — |
| Operating Margin | -26.1% | 13.3% |
| Net Margin | 6.8% | 5.1% |
| Revenue YoY | 2.6% | -4.6% |
| Net Profit YoY | 125.5% | -72.6% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.03 | $49.58 |
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.
| Q4 25 | $50.1M | $35.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $59.4M | $34.6M | ||
| Q2 25 | $51.2M | $34.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $124.4M | $33.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $48.8M | $36.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $23.3M | $35.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $25.8M | $35.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $24.3M | $35.3M |
| Q4 25 | $3.4M | $1.8M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-2.7M | $4.1M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-3.3M | $-106.0K | ||
| Q1 25 | $24.3M | $5.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-13.4M | $6.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-14.0M | $5.7M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-8.4M | $6.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $-186.0K | $6.4M |
| Q4 25 | 12.8% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 21.2% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 12.8% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 47.4% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 17.6% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 10.1% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 26.2% | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 49.2% | — |
| Q4 25 | -26.1% | 13.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | -10.8% | 22.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | -24.2% | 4.7% | ||
| Q1 25 | 30.8% | 25.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | -32.4% | 26.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | -44.1% | 22.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | -18.4% | 25.3% | ||
| Q1 24 | -8.6% | 24.8% |
| Q4 25 | 6.8% | 5.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | -4.6% | 11.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | -6.4% | -0.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 19.5% | 17.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | -27.5% | 17.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | -60.0% | 15.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | -32.7% | 17.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | -0.8% | 18.0% |
| Q4 25 | $0.03 | $49.58 | ||
| Q3 25 | $-0.03 | $0.18 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-0.03 | $-0.01 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.25 | $0.25 | ||
| Q4 24 | $-0.14 | $0.27 | ||
| Q3 24 | $-0.14 | $0.24 | ||
| Q2 24 | $-0.08 | $0.26 | ||
| Q1 24 | $0.00 | $0.27 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $306.7M | $4.1M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $91.9M | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $543.5M | $14.0M |
| Total Assets | $771.0M | $134.9M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.17× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $306.7M | $4.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | $301.8M | $2.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $316.7M | $5.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $272.0M | $2.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $273.9M | $4.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | $410.9M | $3.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $441.9M | $485.0K | ||
| Q1 24 | $498.4M | $1.7M |
| Q4 25 | $91.9M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $48.7M | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $33.3M | ||
| Q1 24 | — | $35.2M |
| Q4 25 | $543.5M | $14.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $537.6M | $14.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $538.6M | $21.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $540.2M | $29.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $514.8M | $31.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $540.2M | $34.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $560.7M | $40.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $568.3M | $36.9M |
| Q4 25 | $771.0M | $134.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $768.9M | $135.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $775.5M | $141.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $801.6M | $135.2M | ||
| Q4 24 | $756.4M | $132.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $707.6M | $131.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $753.6M | $119.1M | ||
| Q1 24 | $631.7M | $120.9M |
| Q4 25 | 0.17× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 1.41× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 0.83× | ||
| Q1 24 | — | 0.95× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $75.2M | $7.2M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | — | $6.1M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | — | 17.2% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | — | 3.2% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 22.01× | 3.99× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | — | $15.7M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $75.2M | $7.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $9.5M | $13.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $50.1M | $-1.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.4M | $6.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $50.1M | $6.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-593.0K | $9.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $16.1M | $6.8M | ||
| Q1 24 | $54.8M | $12.0M |
| Q4 25 | — | $6.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $10.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $-4.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $335.0K | $3.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-98.5M | $1.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-2.8M | $7.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-126.7M | $1.5M | ||
| Q1 24 | $54.6M | $7.9M |
| Q4 25 | — | 17.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 29.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | — | -12.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.3% | 10.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | -201.8% | 5.2% | ||
| Q3 24 | -12.1% | 21.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | -490.5% | 4.3% | ||
| Q1 24 | 224.4% | 22.4% |
| Q4 25 | — | 3.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 10.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 8.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.7% | 8.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 304.4% | 12.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | 9.6% | 4.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 553.0% | 15.0% | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.1% | 11.7% |
| Q4 25 | 22.01× | 3.99× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 3.34× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.10× | 1.15× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 0.97× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 1.66× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 1.10× | ||
| Q1 24 | — | 1.89× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
ACTG
| Energy Operations | $16.0M | 32% |
| Transportation Safety | $10.4M | 21% |
| Office Storage And Display Solutions | $8.4M | 17% |
| Printers Consumables And Parts | $6.5M | 13% |
| Natural Gas Reserves | $5.1M | 10% |
| Natural Gas Liquids Reserves | $3.3M | 7% |
NRC
Segment breakdown not available.
