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Side-by-side financial comparison of NELNET INC (NNI) and STEM, INC. (STEM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

STEM, INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($47.1M vs $33.5M, roughly 1.4× NELNET INC). NELNET INC runs the higher net margin — 172.3% vs -33.9%, a 206.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, NELNET INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (79.6% vs -15.6%). Over the past eight quarters, NELNET INC's revenue compounded faster (62.0% CAGR vs 36.1%).

Nelnet, Inc. is a United States–based conglomerate that primarily focuses on financial services including student and consumer loan origination and servicing. Additionally, the company operates an investing arm, an internet bank and has a 26% stake in Allo Fiber, a cable and internet provider. The company is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.

StemCells, Inc. is a public biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Newark, California, that is developing purified human neural stem cells (HuCNS-SCs) in the hopes of treating central nervous system disorders and paralysis. StemCells' HuCNS-SCs have the ability to differentiate into the three main types of cells found in the central nervous system: neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

NNI vs STEM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
STEM
STEM
1.4× larger
STEM
$47.1M
$33.5M
NNI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NNI
NNI
+95.2% gap
NNI
79.6%
-15.6%
STEM
Higher net margin
NNI
NNI
206.2% more per $
NNI
172.3%
-33.9%
STEM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NNI
NNI
Annualised
NNI
62.0%
36.1%
STEM

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Revenue
$33.5M
$47.1M
Net Profit
$57.8M
$-16.0M
Gross Margin
50.5%
48.9%
Operating Margin
-17.7%
Net Margin
172.3%
-33.9%
Revenue YoY
79.6%
-15.6%
Net Profit YoY
-8.5%
68.8%
EPS (diluted)
$1.62
$-4.40

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
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$33.5M
$47.1M
Q3 25
$23.2M
$38.2M
Q2 25
$26.1M
$38.4M
Q1 25
$24.7M
$32.5M
Q4 24
$18.7M
$55.8M
Q3 24
$16.6M
$29.3M
Q2 24
$14.9M
$34.0M
Q1 24
$12.8M
$25.5M
Net Profit
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$57.8M
$-16.0M
Q3 25
$106.7M
$-23.8M
Q2 25
$181.5M
$202.5M
Q1 25
$82.6M
$-25.0M
Q4 24
$63.2M
$-51.1M
Q3 24
$2.4M
$-148.3M
Q2 24
$45.1M
$-582.3M
Q1 24
$73.4M
$-72.3M
Gross Margin
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
50.5%
48.9%
Q3 25
29.6%
35.5%
Q2 25
29.8%
33.4%
Q1 25
30.5%
32.4%
Q4 24
13.7%
-4.4%
Q3 24
0.1%
21.2%
Q2 24
27.3%
27.6%
Q1 24
15.3%
-95.0%
Operating Margin
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
-17.7%
Q3 25
-33.6%
Q2 25
-34.8%
Q1 25
-65.0%
Q4 24
97.7%
-84.4%
Q3 24
-13.4%
-493.2%
Q2 24
88.0%
-1705.5%
Q1 24
-267.0%
Net Margin
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
172.3%
-33.9%
Q3 25
460.5%
-62.2%
Q2 25
694.9%
527.8%
Q1 25
334.4%
-76.9%
Q4 24
338.2%
-91.6%
Q3 24
14.4%
-506.3%
Q2 24
303.6%
-1712.6%
Q1 24
574.4%
-283.9%
EPS (diluted)
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$1.62
$-4.40
Q3 25
$2.94
$-2.84
Q2 25
$4.97
$-1.79
Q1 25
$2.26
$-0.15
Q4 24
$1.74
$-15.29
Q3 24
$0.07
$-18.24
Q2 24
$1.23
$-71.81
Q1 24
$1.98
$-0.46

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$296.0M
$48.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$7.8B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$3.7B
$-249.4M
Total Assets
$14.1B
$308.9M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
2.11×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$296.0M
$48.9M
Q3 25
$216.4M
$43.1M
Q2 25
$225.8M
$40.8M
Q1 25
$220.5M
$58.6M
Q4 24
$194.5M
$56.3M
Q3 24
$219.7M
$75.4M
Q2 24
$145.5M
$89.6M
Q1 24
$179.7M
$112.8M
Total Debt
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$7.8B
Q3 25
$7.8B
Q2 25
$7.9B
Q1 25
$8.7B
Q4 24
$8.3B
Q3 24
$8.9B
Q2 24
$9.6B
Q1 24
$10.6B
Stockholders' Equity
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$3.7B
$-249.4M
Q3 25
$3.7B
$-235.7M
Q2 25
$3.6B
$-214.1M
Q1 25
$3.4B
$-417.5M
Q4 24
$3.3B
$-398.4M
Q3 24
$3.3B
$-344.1M
Q2 24
$3.3B
$-203.2M
Q1 24
$3.3B
$371.6M
Total Assets
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$14.1B
$308.9M
Q3 25
$13.9B
$362.6M
Q2 25
$13.7B
$379.2M
Q1 25
$14.2B
$405.1M
Q4 24
$13.8B
$437.4M
Q3 24
$14.1B
$537.8M
Q2 24
$14.5B
$691.5M
Q1 24
$15.4B
$1.3B
Debt / Equity
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
2.11×
Q3 25
2.14×
Q2 25
2.21×
Q1 25
2.53×
Q4 24
2.48×
Q3 24
2.72×
Q2 24
2.90×
Q1 24
3.20×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$423.0M
$8.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$396.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
1183.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
78.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
7.32×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$663.4M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$423.0M
$8.2M
Q3 25
$112.4M
$11.4M
Q2 25
$81.8M
$-21.3M
Q1 25
$91.2M
$8.5M
Q4 24
$662.9M
$-14.7M
Q3 24
$137.0M
$-9.4M
Q2 24
$133.8M
$-11.9M
Q1 24
$211.6M
$-621.0K
Free Cash Flow
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$396.7M
Q3 25
$100.8M
Q2 25
$78.1M
Q1 25
$87.8M
Q4 24
$642.0M
Q3 24
$132.6M
Q2 24
$123.1M
Q1 24
$188.3M
FCF Margin
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
1183.0%
Q3 25
435.0%
Q2 25
299.0%
Q1 25
355.6%
Q4 24
3438.0%
Q3 24
797.9%
Q2 24
829.2%
Q1 24
1473.7%
Capex Intensity
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
78.2%
Q3 25
50.4%
Q2 25
14.2%
Q1 25
13.7%
Q4 24
111.9%
Q3 24
26.7%
Q2 24
71.5%
Q1 24
181.7%
Cash Conversion
NNI
NNI
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
7.32×
Q3 25
1.05×
Q2 25
0.45×
-0.11×
Q1 25
1.10×
Q4 24
10.50×
Q3 24
57.39×
Q2 24
2.97×
Q1 24
2.88×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

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