NU vs. RY: Nu Holdings vs. Royal Bank of Canada Stock Comparison
How do Nu Holdings (NU) and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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
Nu Holdings (NU) and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) are both classified in the Diversified Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
Royal Bank of Canada (RY) has more than two decades of public-market history since October 16, 1995, whereas Nu Holdings (NU) listed on December 9, 2021 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Nu Holdings Ltd. Class A Ordinary Shares | Royal Bank of Canada |
| Country/Region | Brazil | Canada |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Banks | Banks |
| GICS Industry | Banks | Banks |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Diversified Banks | Diversified Banks |
| Market Capitalization | 58.11 billion USD | 278.49 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 9, 2021 | October 16, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -22.46% | 42.94% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 14.21% | 38.10% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -- | 17.71% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 46.14% | 17.09% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.94 | 0.78 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -72.07% | -28.69% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 80.53M | 1.25M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.58 | 2.26 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.78 | 3.50 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both companies show strong equity returns, but Nu Holdings (NU) at 31.63% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 16.21% also sits in the top quartile.
NU
Banks industry group
31.63%
- NU
- 31.63%
- Max
- 19.84%
- Q3
- 13.67%
- Median
- 11.49%
- Q1
- 9.50%
- Min
- 3.64%
RY
Banks industry group
16.21%
- Max
- 19.84%
- RY
- 16.21%
- 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 Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 33.87%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
NU
Banks industry group
42.73%
- Max
- 47.19%
- NU
- 42.73%
- Q3
- 35.25%
- Median
- 31.21%
- Q1
- 27.11%
- Min
- 14.93%
RY
Banks industry group
33.87%
- Max
- 47.19%
- Q3
- 35.25%
- RY
- 33.87%
- Median
- 31.21%
- Q1
- 27.11%
- Min
- 14.93%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) in Banks, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 31.63% | 16.21% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.96% | 0.96% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 42.73% | 33.87% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Nu Holdings (NU) at 28.51% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 15.73% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for NU.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Nu Holdings (NU) reports EPS growth of 44.92%, ranked against its industry; Royal Bank of Canada (RY) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 28.51% | 15.73% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 52.93% | 10.90% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 44.92% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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: Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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 | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Royal Bank of Canada (RY) reports a yield of 3.23%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NU
Banks industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 5.79%
- Q3
- 3.18%
- Median
- 2.39%
- Q1
- 1.20%
- NU
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RY
Banks industry group
3.23%
- Max
- 5.79%
- RY
- 3.23%
- Q3
- 3.18%
- Median
- 2.39%
- Q1
- 1.20%
- 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 Royal Bank of Canada (RY) reports a payout of 41.49%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NU
Banks industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 70.75%
- Q3
- 41.28%
- Median
- 29.26%
- Q1
- 18.98%
- NU
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RY
Banks industry group
41.49%
- Max
- 70.75%
- RY
- 41.49%
- Q3
- 41.28%
- Median
- 29.26%
- Q1
- 18.98%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 3.23% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 41.49% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Nu Holdings (NU) at 16.48 and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 17.58 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.
NU
Banks industry group
16.48
- Max
- 18.16
- NU
- 16.48
- Q3
- 13.75
- Median
- 11.81
- Q1
- 10.64
- Min
- 6.49
RY
Banks industry group
17.58
- Max
- 18.16
- RY
- 17.58
- Q3
- 13.75
- Median
- 11.81
- Q1
- 10.64
- Min
- 6.49
P/S Ratio (TTM)
P/S ratio is set aside for both Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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)
Measured against book value, both Nu Holdings (NU) at 4.39 and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 2.92 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.
NU
Banks industry group
4.39
- NU
- 4.39
- Max
- 2.28
- Q3
- 1.58
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.59
RY
Banks industry group
2.92
- RY
- 2.92
- Max
- 2.28
- Q3
- 1.58
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NU | RY |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 16.48 | 17.58 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.39 | 2.92 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |