CRCL vs. NU: Circle Internet vs. Nu Holdings Stock Comparison
How do Circle Internet (CRCL) 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
Circle Internet (CRCL) is classified in the Information Technology sector (Software & Services), whereas Nu Holdings (NU) belongs to Financials (Banks) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
| Profile Item | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Circle Internet Group, Inc. Class A | Nu Holdings Ltd. Class A Ordinary Shares |
| Country/Region | United States | Brazil |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Banks |
| GICS Industry | Software | Banks |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Application Software | Diversified Banks |
| Market Capitalization | 17.41 billion USD | 58.11 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 5, 2025 | December 9, 2021 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -33.88% | -22.46% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -- | 14.21% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -- | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 96.01% | 46.14% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.84 | 0.94 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -80.93% | -72.07% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 12.74M | 80.53M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.40 | -0.58 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.61 | -0.78 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) at 31.63% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Circle Internet (CRCL) at 13.44%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
13.44%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- CRCL
- 13.44%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
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 Circle Internet (CRCL) at 15.28%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
15.28%
- Max
- 41.17%
- CRCL
- 15.28%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
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)
Circle Internet (CRCL) reports operating margin of 24.09%; Nu Holdings (NU) doesn’t report a comparable line — in Banks, funding costs sit inside the core business rather than below an operating line, so profitability is better judged on net margin or ROE.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
24.09%
- Max
- 46.89%
- CRCL
- 24.09%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
NU
Banks industry group
--
- NU
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 13.44% | 31.63% |
| ROA (TTM) | 0.28% | 4.96% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.28% | 42.73% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 24.09% | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 26.58% | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both companies are growing quickly, but Circle Internet (CRCL) at 63.86% is the standout with revenue growth above its industry range; Nu Holdings (NU) at 28.51% also sits in the top quartile.
EPS Growth
Nu Holdings (NU) at 44.92% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Circle Internet (CRCL) at -640.54% falls below its industry range — a large difference in per-share earnings trajectories.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 63.86% | 28.51% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 52.66% | 52.93% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -640.54% | 44.92% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Circle Internet (CRCL) shows current ratio of 1.04; Nu Holdings (NU) doesn’t get one — Banks balance sheets aren’t split into current and non-current buckets, so short-term liquidity there is judged through regulatory measures instead.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
1.04
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- CRCL
- 1.04
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
NU
Banks industry group
--
- NU
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Circle Internet (CRCL) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.00; for Nu Holdings (NU) the ratio is set aside — in Banks, balance-sheet leverage is part of the business model itself, so capital-adequacy measures do the job this ratio does elsewhere.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
0.00
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- CRCL
- 0.00
- Min
- 0.00
NU
Banks industry group
--
- NU
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.04 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.00 | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -4.68 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Circle Internet (CRCL) nor Nu Holdings (NU) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CRCL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- 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)
Neither Circle Internet (CRCL) nor Nu Holdings (NU) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CRCL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- 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 | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Circle Internet (CRCL) at 40.89 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Nu Holdings (NU) at 16.48 sits in the richer quartile — NU needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
40.89
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- CRCL
- 40.89
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
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)
Circle Internet (CRCL) shows P/S ratio of 5.75; for Nu Holdings (NU) the multiple is skipped — in Banks, income is dominated by interest spread rather than a conventional revenue line, so pricing per dollar of sales loses meaning and book- or earnings-based multiples carry the comparison.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
5.75
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- CRCL
- 5.75
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
NU
Banks industry group
--
- NU
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Circle Internet (CRCL) at 4.50 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Nu Holdings (NU) at 4.39 prices above its benchmark range — NU looks rich relative to book.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
4.50
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- CRCL
- 4.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
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 | CRCL | NU |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 40.89 | 16.48 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.75 | -- |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.50 | 4.39 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.43% | -- |