Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS) vs Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) 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 | NRDS | 21.7% revenue growth vs YRD's 18.6% |
| Value | YRD | Lower P/E (0.7x vs 11.6x), PEG 0.09 vs 0.23 |
| Quality / Margins | YRD | 27.3% net margin vs NRDS's 5.8% |
| Stability / Safety | YRD | Beta 0.95 vs NRDS's 1.29 |
| Dividends | YRD | 10.5% yield; 1-year raise streak; NRDS pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | NRDS | +6.4% vs YRD's -36.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NRDS | 10.6% ROA vs YRD's 8.1%, ROIC 13.1% vs 14.0% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Valuation efficiency (growth/$)
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
NerdWallet operates a digital personal finance platform that connects consumers with financial product providers through educational content and product marketplaces. It generates revenue primarily through lead generation fees — earning commissions when users apply for financial products like credit cards, loans, and insurance through its platform. The company's moat lies in its trusted brand reputation and extensive educational content library that attracts a large, engaged audience seeking financial guidance.
Yiren Digital operates an online consumer finance marketplace in China that connects borrowers with investors. It generates revenue primarily through loan facilitation fees and post-origination services — including collection and cash processing — while also earning commissions from distributing financial products like insurance and mutual funds. The company's competitive advantage lies in its established digital platform and regulatory compliance within China's complex financial services landscape.
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
YRD leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). NRDS leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
YRD is the larger business by revenue, generating $5.8B annually — 6.9x NRDS's $837M. YRD is the more profitable business, keeping 27.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to NRDS's 5.8%.
| Metric | NRDSNerdWallet, Inc. | YRDYiren Digital Ltd. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $837M | $5.8B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $102M | $1.6B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $49M | $1.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $122M | $884M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +92.4% | +84.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +7.8% | +28.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +5.8% | +27.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +15.6% | +24.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -62.7% | -10.1% |
Valuation Metrics
At 0.7x trailing earnings, YRD trades at a 96% valuation discount to NRDS's 17.0x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), YRD offers better value at 0.09x vs NRDS's 0.33x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | NRDSNerdWallet, Inc. | YRDYiren Digital Ltd. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $344M | $673M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $246M | $119M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 16.95x | 0.74x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 11.61x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.33x | 0.09x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 3.77x | 0.49x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.41x | 0.80x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.20x | 0.12x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.64x | 3.26x |
Profitability & Efficiency
NRDS delivers a 13.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $13 in annual profit, vs $12 for YRD. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NRDS scores 8/9 vs YRD's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | NRDSNerdWallet, Inc. | YRDYiren Digital Ltd. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +13.0% | +12.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +10.6% | +8.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +13.1% | +14.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +17.0% | +16.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.00x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$98M | -$3.8B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $98M | $3.8B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $0 | $41M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 122.00x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in YRD five years ago would be worth $8,602 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,834 for NRDS. Over the past 12 months, NRDS leads with a +6.4% total return vs YRD's -36.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors YRD at 18.9% vs NRDS's -19.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | NRDSNerdWallet, Inc. | YRDYiren Digital Ltd. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -16.1% | +1.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +6.4% | -36.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -47.4% | +68.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -61.7% | -14.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -61.7% | +5.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -19.3% | +18.9% |
Risk & Volatility
YRD is the less volatile stock with a 0.95 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than NRDS's 1.29 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. NRDS currently trades 66.8% from its 52-week high vs YRD's 44.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | NRDSNerdWallet, Inc. | YRDYiren Digital Ltd. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.29x | 0.95x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $16.24 | $8.74 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $7.55 | $3.58 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +66.8% | +44.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.5 | 53.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 695K | 59K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates NRDS as "Buy" and YRD as "Sell". YRD is the only dividend payer here at 10.47% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | NRDSNerdWallet, Inc. | YRDYiren Digital Ltd. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Sell |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $16.00 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 6 | 8 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +10.5% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $2.80 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.6% | +1.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Nov 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS) | 100 | 43.64 | -56.4% |
| Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) | 100 | 118.43 | +18.4% |
Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) returned -14% over 5 years vs NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS)'s -62%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS) | $228M | $837M | +266.4% |
| Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) | $3.2B | $5.8B | +79.3% |
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS) | 10.6% | 5.8% | -45.1% |
| Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) | 34.5% | 27.3% | -21.0% |
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) | 1 | 0.1 | -90.0% |
Yiren Digital Ltd. has traded in a 0x–1x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~1x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS) | 0.37 | 0.64 | +73.0% |
| Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) | 37.54 | 36.22 | -3.5% |
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
NerdWallet, Inc. generated $130M FCF in 2025 (+925% vs 2021). Yiren Digital Ltd. generated $1B FCF in 2024 (+851% vs 2021).
NRDS vs YRD: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is NRDS or YRD a better buy right now?
Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) offers the better valuation at 0.7x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS) a "Buy" — based on 6 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 has the better valuation — NRDS or YRD?
On trailing P/E, Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) is the cheapest at 0.7x versus NerdWallet, Inc. at 17.0x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — NRDS or YRD?
Over the past 5 years, Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) delivered a total return of -14.0%, compared to -61.7% for NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS). A $10,000 investment in YRD five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: YRD returned +5.0% versus NRDS's -61.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — NRDS or YRD?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) is the lower-risk stock at 0.95β versus NerdWallet, Inc.'s 1.29β — meaning NRDS is approximately 36% more volatile than YRD relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — NRDS or YRD?
Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) is the more profitable company, earning 27.3% net margin versus 5.8% for NerdWallet, Inc. — meaning it keeps 27.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: YRD leads at 28.4% versus 7.8% for NRDS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NRDS leads at 92.4%, 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.
06Which pays a better dividend — NRDS or YRD?
In this comparison, YRD (10.5% yield) pays a dividend. NRDS does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is NRDS or YRD better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Yiren Digital Ltd. (YRD) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.95), 10.5% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (YRD: +5.0%, NRDS: -61.7%), 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 NRDS and YRD?
Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. YRD pays a dividend while NRDS does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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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