BCS vs. NU: Barclays vs. Nu Holdings Stock Comparison
How do Barclays (BCS) and Nu Holdings (NU) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Barclays (BCS) and Nu Holdings (NU) are both classified in the Diversified Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
Barclays (BCS) has more than two decades of public-market history since September 9, 1986, whereas Nu Holdings (NU) listed on December 9, 2021 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
Nu Holdings (NU) trades as ordinary local shares, while Barclays (BCS) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Barclays PLC Sponsored ADR | Nu Holdings Ltd. Class A Ordinary Shares |
| Country/Region | United Kingdom | Brazil |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Banks | Banks |
| GICS Industry | Banks | Banks |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Diversified Banks | Diversified Banks |
| Market Capitalization | 74.23 billion USD | 58.11 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | September 9, 1986 | December 9, 2021 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 8.81% | -22.46% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 56.19% | 14.21% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 21.37% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 32.20% | 46.14% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.00 | 0.94 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -48.14% | -72.07% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.89M | 80.53M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.14 | -0.58 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.21 | -0.78 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) at 31.63% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Barclays (BCS) at 10.45%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
BCS
Banks industry group
10.45%
- Max
- 19.84%
- Q3
- 13.67%
- Median
- 11.49%
- BCS
- 10.45%
- Q1
- 9.50%
- Min
- 3.64%
NU
Banks industry group
31.63%
- NU
- 31.63%
- Max
- 19.84%
- Q3
- 13.67%
- Median
- 11.49%
- Q1
- 9.50%
- Min
- 3.64%
Net Margin (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) at 42.73% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Barclays (BCS) at 28.22%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
BCS
Banks industry group
28.22%
- Max
- 47.19%
- Q3
- 35.25%
- Median
- 31.21%
- BCS
- 28.22%
- Q1
- 27.11%
- Min
- 14.93%
NU
Banks industry group
42.73%
- Max
- 47.19%
- NU
- 42.73%
- Q3
- 35.25%
- Median
- 31.21%
- Q1
- 27.11%
- Min
- 14.93%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Barclays (BCS) in Banks and Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 10.45% | 31.63% |
| ROA (TTM) | 0.48% | 4.96% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 28.22% | 42.73% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Nu Holdings (NU) at 28.51% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Barclays (BCS) at 11.09% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for NU.
EPS Growth
Nu Holdings (NU) at 44.92% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Barclays (BCS) at 21.55% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for NU.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 11.09% | 28.51% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 5.21% | 52.93% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 21.55% | 44.92% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 12.38% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Barclays (BCS) in Banks and Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Barclays (BCS) in Banks and Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Barclays (BCS) reports a yield of 0.50%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BCS
Banks industry group
0.50%
- Max
- 5.79%
- Q3
- 3.18%
- Median
- 2.39%
- Q1
- 1.20%
- BCS
- 0.50%
- Min
- 0.00%
NU
Banks industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 5.79%
- Q3
- 3.18%
- Median
- 2.39%
- Q1
- 1.20%
- NU
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Barclays (BCS) reports a payout of 22.96%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BCS
Banks industry group
22.96%
- Max
- 70.75%
- Q3
- 41.28%
- Median
- 29.26%
- BCS
- 22.96%
- Q1
- 18.98%
- Min
- 0.00%
NU
Banks industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 70.75%
- Q3
- 41.28%
- Median
- 29.26%
- Q1
- 18.98%
- NU
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.50% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 22.96% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Barclays (BCS) at 8.33 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Nu Holdings (NU) at 16.48 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.
BCS
Banks industry group
8.33
- Max
- 18.16
- Q3
- 13.75
- Median
- 11.81
- Q1
- 10.64
- BCS
- 8.33
- Min
- 6.49
NU
Banks industry group
16.48
- Max
- 18.16
- NU
- 16.48
- Q3
- 13.75
- Median
- 11.81
- Q1
- 10.64
- Min
- 6.49
P/S Ratio (TTM)
P/S ratio is set aside for both Barclays (BCS) in Banks and Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks: without a conventional revenue line, pricing per dollar of sales isn’t meaningful, and book- or earnings-based multiples make the better comparison.
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Barclays (BCS) at 0.88 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile relative to book while Nu Holdings (NU) at 4.39 prices above its industry range — a wide valuation gap against assets.
BCS
Banks industry group
0.88
- Max
- 2.28
- Q3
- 1.58
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 1.10
- BCS
- 0.88
- Min
- 0.59
NU
Banks industry group
4.39
- NU
- 4.39
- Max
- 2.28
- Q3
- 1.58
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BCS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 8.33 | 16.48 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.88 | 4.39 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |