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Side-by-side financial comparison of NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP (NRC) 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 $35.2M, roughly 1.3× NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP). NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP runs the higher net margin — 5.1% vs -33.9%, a 39.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, NATIONAL RESEARCH CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-4.6% vs -15.6%). Over the past eight quarters, STEM, INC.'s revenue compounded faster (36.1% CAGR vs -0.2%).

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.

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.

NRC vs STEM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
STEM
STEM
1.3× larger
STEM
$47.1M
$35.2M
NRC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NRC
NRC
+10.9% gap
NRC
-4.6%
-15.6%
STEM
Higher net margin
NRC
NRC
39.0% more per $
NRC
5.1%
-33.9%
STEM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEM
STEM
Annualised
STEM
36.1%
-0.2%
NRC

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Revenue
$35.2M
$47.1M
Net Profit
$1.8M
$-16.0M
Gross Margin
48.9%
Operating Margin
13.3%
-17.7%
Net Margin
5.1%
-33.9%
Revenue YoY
-4.6%
-15.6%
Net Profit YoY
-72.6%
68.8%
EPS (diluted)
$49.58
$-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
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$35.2M
$47.1M
Q3 25
$34.6M
$38.2M
Q2 25
$34.0M
$38.4M
Q1 25
$33.6M
$32.5M
Q4 24
$36.9M
$55.8M
Q3 24
$35.8M
$29.3M
Q2 24
$35.0M
$34.0M
Q1 24
$35.3M
$25.5M
Net Profit
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$1.8M
$-16.0M
Q3 25
$4.1M
$-23.8M
Q2 25
$-106.0K
$202.5M
Q1 25
$5.8M
$-25.0M
Q4 24
$6.6M
$-51.1M
Q3 24
$5.7M
$-148.3M
Q2 24
$6.2M
$-582.3M
Q1 24
$6.4M
$-72.3M
Gross Margin
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
48.9%
Q3 25
35.5%
Q2 25
33.4%
Q1 25
32.4%
Q4 24
-4.4%
Q3 24
21.2%
Q2 24
27.6%
Q1 24
-95.0%
Operating Margin
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
13.3%
-17.7%
Q3 25
22.4%
-33.6%
Q2 25
4.7%
-34.8%
Q1 25
25.6%
-65.0%
Q4 24
26.0%
-84.4%
Q3 24
22.3%
-493.2%
Q2 24
25.3%
-1705.5%
Q1 24
24.8%
-267.0%
Net Margin
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
5.1%
-33.9%
Q3 25
11.9%
-62.2%
Q2 25
-0.3%
527.8%
Q1 25
17.2%
-76.9%
Q4 24
17.8%
-91.6%
Q3 24
15.9%
-506.3%
Q2 24
17.6%
-1712.6%
Q1 24
18.0%
-283.9%
EPS (diluted)
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$49.58
$-4.40
Q3 25
$0.18
$-2.84
Q2 25
$-0.01
$-1.79
Q1 25
$0.25
$-0.15
Q4 24
$0.27
$-15.29
Q3 24
$0.24
$-18.24
Q2 24
$0.26
$-71.81
Q1 24
$0.27
$-0.46

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$4.1M
$48.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$14.0M
$-249.4M
Total Assets
$134.9M
$308.9M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$4.1M
$48.9M
Q3 25
$2.2M
$43.1M
Q2 25
$5.3M
$40.8M
Q1 25
$2.5M
$58.6M
Q4 24
$4.2M
$56.3M
Q3 24
$3.5M
$75.4M
Q2 24
$485.0K
$89.6M
Q1 24
$1.7M
$112.8M
Total Debt
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
$48.7M
Q2 24
$33.3M
Q1 24
$35.2M
Stockholders' Equity
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$14.0M
$-249.4M
Q3 25
$14.3M
$-235.7M
Q2 25
$21.3M
$-214.1M
Q1 25
$29.7M
$-417.5M
Q4 24
$31.3M
$-398.4M
Q3 24
$34.6M
$-344.1M
Q2 24
$40.2M
$-203.2M
Q1 24
$36.9M
$371.6M
Total Assets
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$134.9M
$308.9M
Q3 25
$135.7M
$362.6M
Q2 25
$141.4M
$379.2M
Q1 25
$135.2M
$405.1M
Q4 24
$132.5M
$437.4M
Q3 24
$131.8M
$537.8M
Q2 24
$119.1M
$691.5M
Q1 24
$120.9M
$1.3B
Debt / Equity
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
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
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$7.2M
$8.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$6.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
17.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
3.99×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$15.7M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$7.2M
$8.2M
Q3 25
$13.8M
$11.4M
Q2 25
$-1.1M
$-21.3M
Q1 25
$6.6M
$8.5M
Q4 24
$6.4M
$-14.7M
Q3 24
$9.4M
$-9.4M
Q2 24
$6.8M
$-11.9M
Q1 24
$12.0M
$-621.0K
Free Cash Flow
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$6.1M
Q3 25
$10.2M
Q2 25
$-4.1M
Q1 25
$3.7M
Q4 24
$1.9M
Q3 24
$7.8M
Q2 24
$1.5M
Q1 24
$7.9M
FCF Margin
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
17.2%
Q3 25
29.4%
Q2 25
-12.2%
Q1 25
10.9%
Q4 24
5.2%
Q3 24
21.8%
Q2 24
4.3%
Q1 24
22.4%
Capex Intensity
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
3.2%
Q3 25
10.4%
Q2 25
8.8%
Q1 25
8.9%
Q4 24
12.0%
Q3 24
4.5%
Q2 24
15.0%
Q1 24
11.7%
Cash Conversion
NRC
NRC
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
3.99×
Q3 25
3.34×
Q2 25
-0.11×
Q1 25
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.

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