Nelnet (NNI) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE: NNI), founded in 1996 and headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, is a leading provider of education-related financial services in the United States. Originally established to service federal student loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, Nelnet has grown into a diversified financial technology company focused on supporting students, families and institutions throughout the education lifecycle.

The company’s core business centers on student loan servicing and repayment management, administering millions of federal and private education loan accounts under contracts with the U.S. Department of Education. Nelnet offers borrower support, billing and collections services, and digital tools designed to simplify repayment options and improve borrower outcomes. In addition to federal loan servicing, Nelnet manages private education loans and provides in-school servicing for campus-based loan programs.

Beyond student loans, Nelnet operates a tuition payment solutions segment that partners with K–12 schools, colleges and universities to offer flexible payment plans and technology-driven billing platforms. This division also includes prepaid tuition programs that enable families to lock in future tuition rates. Nelnet has expanded its portfolio through strategic acquisitions in education technology, payment processing and asset management, enhancing its ability to deliver integrated financial services to both educational institutions and individual consumers.

Under the leadership of President and CEO Michael J. Dunlap, Nelnet emphasizes innovation in financial technology, digital engagement and customer experience. The company continues to invest in mobile and web-based platforms, data analytics and partnerships aimed at streamlining education funding and improving access to higher education. Serving clients across all 50 states, Nelnet remains committed to leveraging technology and expertise to support timely loan repayment, institutional billing needs and long-term financial planning for students and families.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $123.86 to $124.69
• 50-Day Range: $105.40 to $123.92
• 52-Week Range: $98.15 to $127.32
• Volume: 16,143 shs
• Average Volume: 59,826 shs
• Market Capitalization: $4.51 billion
• P/E Ratio: 23.49
• Dividend Yield: 0.90%
• Price Target: $98.00
• Consensus Rating: Hold

Nelnet Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Nelnet scored higher than 83% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 247th out of 906 stocks in the finance sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 1.0 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Hold

Consensus Rating

Nelnet has received a consensus rating of Hold. The company's average rating score is 2.00, and is based on no buy ratings, 1 hold rating, and no sell ratings.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

Nelnet has received no research coverage in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 30.53%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Nelnet are expected to grow by 30.53% in the coming year, from $4.52 to $5.90 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Nelnet is 23.43, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 25.99.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Nelnet is 23.43, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the Finance sector average P/E ratio of about 19.98.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Nelnet has a P/B Ratio of 1.36. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 4.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

2.29% of the float of Nelnet has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Nelnet has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 5.6.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Nelnet has recently decreased by 6.28%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 1.7 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Weak

Dividend Yield

Nelnet has a dividend yield of 0.91%, which is in the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.

Dividend Growth

Nelnet does not have a long track record of dividend growth.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Nelnet is 21.17%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, Nelnet will have a dividend payout ratio of 18.98% next year. This indicates that Nelnet will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 4.7 / 5
• Environmental Score: -0.11

Percentage of Shares Shorted

2.29% of the float of Nelnet has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Nelnet has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 5.6.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Nelnet has recently decreased by 6.28%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 2.2 / 5
• News Sentiment: 0.93

News Sentiment

Nelnet has a news sentiment score of 0.93. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a higher news sentiment than the 0.73 average news sentiment score of Finance companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 2 news articles for Nelnet this week, compared to 2 articles on an average week.

MarketBeat Follows

Only 2 people have added Nelnet to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -78% compared to the previous 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 1.7 / 5
• Insider Trading: N/A

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Nelnet insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

50.90% of the stock of Nelnet is held by insiders. A high percentage of insider ownership can be a sign of company health.

Percentage Held by Institutions

Only 33.51% of the stock of Nelnet is held by institutions.

NNI Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have NNI shares performed this year?

Nelnet's stock was trading at $106.81 at the start of the year. Since then, NNI shares have increased by 16.0% and is now trading at $123.92.

How were Nelnet's earnings last quarter?

Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE:NNI) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May, 8th. The credit services provider reported $2.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.47. The credit services provider earned $398.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $393 million. Nelnet had a net margin of 9.44% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 6.00%.

How will Nelnet's stock buyback program work?

Nelnet's board approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, May 8th 2025, which authorizes the company to buy back 5,000,000 outstanding shares, according to EventVestor. This authorizes the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Who are Nelnet's major shareholders?

Nelnet's top institutional shareholders include Avity Investment Management Inc. (0.01%). Insiders that own company stock include Kathleen Anne Farrell, William J Munn and Deun Jona M Van.
View institutional ownership trends.

How do I buy shares of Nelnet?

Shares of NNI stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of Nelnet own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Nelnet investors own include NVIDIA (NVDA), Meta Platforms (META), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Netflix (NFLX), Tesla (TSLA), Visa (V) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM).

Company Calendar

• Last Earnings: 5/08/2025
• Record date for 6/16 Dividend: 6/02/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 6/16 Dividend: 6/02/2025
• Dividend Payable: 6/16/2025
• Today: 7/09/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 8/06/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NYSE
• Sector: Finance
• Industry: FIN - CONS LOANS
• Sub-Industry: Consumer Finance
• Current Symbol: NYSE:NNI
• CIK: 1258602
• Web: www.nelnet.com
• Phone: (402) 458-2370
• Fax: 402-458-2344
• Employees: 6,739
• Year Founded: N/A

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for Nelnet: $98.00
• High Price Target: $98.00
• Low Price Target: $98.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: -20.9%
• Consensus Rating: Hold
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.00
• Research Coverage: 1 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $5.29
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 23.43
• Forward P/E Ratio: 27.42
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $184.04 million
• Net Margins: 9.44%
• Pretax Margin: 11.77%
• Return on Equity: 6.00%
• Return on Assets: 1.39%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 2.57
• Current Ratio: 34.08
• Quick Ratio: 34.08

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $2.14 billion
• Price / Sales: 2.10
• Cash Flow: $8.59 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 14.42
• Book Value: $90.90 per share
• Price / Book: 1.36

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 36,290,000
• Free Float: 17,820,000
• Market Cap: $4.50 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.95