Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare NextNav Inc. (NN) vs Twilio Inc. (TWLO) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | NN | 46.8% revenue growth vs TWLO's 13.7% |
| Quality / Margins | TWLO | 0.7% net margin vs NN's -27.7% |
| Stability / Safety | NN | Beta 1.23 vs TWLO's 1.56 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | NN | +53.4% vs TWLO's +0.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | TWLO | 0.3% ROA vs NN's -58.4%, ROIC 1.5% vs -61.5% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
NextNav provides next-generation 3D geolocation and positioning services as an alternative to traditional GPS. It makes money by selling its Pinnacle 3D geolocation service — available in thousands of U.S. cities — and its TerraPoiNT terrestrial-based encrypted timing network directly to customers and through partners. The company's key advantage is its terrestrial-based encrypted network that provides more reliable indoor and urban positioning where GPS signals are weak or unavailable.
Twilio is a cloud communications platform that enables developers to embed voice, messaging, video, and email capabilities into their applications through APIs. It generates revenue primarily from usage-based fees for its communication services — messaging (~60% of revenue), voice (~20%), and email/other services — with developers paying per message, minute, or email sent. Its key advantage is its developer-first platform with comprehensive APIs that create switching costs and network effects as more applications build on its infrastructure.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
TWLO leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). NN leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
TWLO is the larger business by revenue, generating $5.1B annually — 914.8x NN's $6M. TWLO is the more profitable business, keeping 0.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to NN's -27.7%. On growth, TWLO holds the edge at +14.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | TWLOTwilio Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $6M | $5.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$64M | $380M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$154M | $34M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$47M | $1.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -64.6% | +49.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -12.4% | +3.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -27.7% | +0.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -8.5% | +21.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -44.8% | +14.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -9.1% | -2.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | TWLOTwilio Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.1B | $18.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.1B | $18.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -19.15x | 576.00x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 22.30x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 47.92x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 372.20x | 3.62x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 39.00x | 2.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 17.75x |
Profitability & Efficiency
TWLO delivers a 0.4% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $0 in annual profit, vs $-156 for NN. TWLO carries lower financial leverage with a 0.15x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to NN's 1.43x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), TWLO scores 6/9 vs NN's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | TWLOTwilio Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -156.5% | +0.4% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -58.4% | +0.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -61.5% | +1.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -39.8% | +1.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.43x | 0.15x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $32M | $453M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $39M | $682M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $71M | $1.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -6.08x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in NN five years ago would be worth $15,698 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,909 for TWLO. Over the past 12 months, NN leads with a +53.4% total return vs TWLO's +0.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors NN at 80.0% vs TWLO's 21.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | TWLOTwilio Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -0.8% | -12.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +53.4% | +0.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +483.0% | +80.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +57.0% | -70.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +65.0% | +320.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +80.0% | +21.6% |
Risk & Volatility
NN is the less volatile stock with a 1.23 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than TWLO's 1.56 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. NN currently trades 88.2% from its 52-week high vs TWLO's 82.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | TWLOTwilio Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.23x | 1.56x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $18.25 | $145.90 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $9.05 | $77.51 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +88.2% | +82.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 58.5 | 52.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.0M | 2.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates NN as "Buy" and TWLO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 17.2% upside for TWLO (target: $142) vs -44.1% for NN (target: $9).
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | TWLOTwilio Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $9.00 | $141.75 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 3 | 52 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +4.7% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Nov 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextNav Inc. (NN) | 100 | 151.79 | +51.8% |
| Twilio Inc. (TWLO) | 100 | 43.89 | -56.1% |
NextNav Inc. (NN) returned +57% over 5 years vs Twilio Inc. (TWLO)'s -71%. A $10,000 investment in NN 5 years ago would be worth $15,698 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextNav Inc. (NN) | $164000.00 | $6M | +3356.7% |
| Twilio Inc. (TWLO) | $277M | $5.1B | +1727.1% |
Twilio Inc.'s revenue grew from $277M (2016) to $5.1B (2025) — a 38.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextNav Inc. (NN) | -602.3% | -18.0% | +97.0% |
| Twilio Inc. (TWLO) | -14.9% | 0.7% | +104.5% |
Twilio Inc.'s net margin went from -15% (2016) to 1% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextNav Inc. (NN) | -6.27 | -0.84 | +86.6% |
| Twilio Inc. (TWLO) | -0.47 | 0.21 | +144.7% |
Twilio Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.47 (2016) to $0.21 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
NextNav Inc. generated $-38M FCF in 2024 (+22% vs 2021). Twilio Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2025 (+797% vs 2021).
NN vs TWLO: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is NN or TWLO a better buy right now?
Twilio Inc. (TWLO) offers the better valuation at 576.0x trailing P/E (22.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate NextNav Inc. (NN) a "Buy" — based on 3 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — NN or TWLO?
Over the past 5 years, NextNav Inc. (NN) delivered a total return of +57.0%, compared to -70.9% for Twilio Inc. (TWLO). A $10,000 investment in NN five years ago would be worth approximately $16K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: TWLO returned +320.1% versus NN's +65.0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — NN or TWLO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), NextNav Inc. (NN) is the lower-risk stock at 1.23β versus Twilio Inc.'s 1.56β — meaning TWLO is approximately 27% more volatile than NN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Twilio Inc. (TWLO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 15% versus 143% for NextNav Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — NN or TWLO?
Twilio Inc. (TWLO) is the more profitable company, earning 0.7% net margin versus -1797.1% for NextNav Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: TWLO leads at 3.4% versus -1060.1% for NN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — TWLO leads at 48.0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is NN or TWLO more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for TWLO: 17.2% to $141.75.
06Which pays a better dividend — NN or TWLO?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is NN or TWLO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, NextNav Inc. (NN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.23)). Twilio Inc. (TWLO) carries a higher beta of 1.56 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (NN: +65.0%, TWLO: +320.1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between NN and TWLO?
Both stocks operate in the Communication Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 7%
- Gross Margin > 29%