The company maintains a precarious financial position with a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.31 and a substantial $3.8 billion debt load, which may limit future strategic flexibility.
| Total Current Assets | 1.53B | 1.45B | 1.19B | 1.55B | 805.9M |
| Cash & Short-Term Investments | 362.3M | 518.8M | 263.8M | 282.4M | 144.5M |
| Cash Only | 362.3M | 518.8M | 263.8M | 282.4M | 144.5M |
| Short-Term Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Accounts Receivable | 925.8M | 680.79M | 728.2M | 748.9M | 539.9M |
| Days Sales Outstanding | 71.47 | 59.19 | 66.91 | 81.81 | 70.72 |
| Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Days Inventory Outstanding | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Current Assets | 44M | 250.51M | 91.4M | 420.5M | 47.8M |
| Total Non-Current Assets | 5.22B | 5.35B | 5.18B | 5.83B | 3.06B |
| Property, Plant & Equipment | 386.6M | 411.9M | 387.6M | 484.7M | 352.8M |
| Fixed Asset Turnover | 10.72x | 10.19x | 10.25x | 6.89x | 7.90x |
| Goodwill | 2.41B | 2.43B | 2.21B | 2.37B | 736.7M |
| Intangible Assets | 2.1B | 2.19B | 2.29B | 2.71B | 1.73B |
| Long-Term Investments | 424.05M | 89.45M | 102.9M | 110.6M | 55.6M |
| Other Non-Current Assets | 176.8M | 199.65M | 168.8M | 135.2M | 151.4M |
| Total Assets | 6.75B | 6.8B | 6.37B | 7.38B | 3.86B |
| Asset Turnover | 0.63x | 0.62x | 0.62x | 0.45x | 0.72x |
| Asset Growth % | 3.15% | 6.79% | -13.7% | 91.04% | - |
| Total Current Liabilities | 1.43B | 1.4B | 1.37B | 1.4B | 975.6M |
| Accounts Payable | 225.4M | 224.4M | 217.1M | 204M | 155.6M |
| Days Payables Outstanding | 37.71 | 43.99 | 44.73 | 49.26 | 40.94 |
| Short-Term Debt | 149.7M | 107.5M | 121M | 103.3M | 60M |
| Deferred Revenue (Current) | 1.25B | 262M | 273.4M | 267.9M | 153.6M |
| Other Current Liabilities | 458.4M | 750.5M | 95.9M | 156M | 90.4M |
| Current Ratio | 1.07x | 1.03x | 0.87x | 1.10x | 0.83x |
| Quick Ratio | 1.07x | 1.03x | 0.87x | 1.10x | 0.83x |
| Cash Conversion Cycle | 33.76 | - | - | - | - |
| Total Non-Current Liabilities | 4.16B | 4.17B | 4.52B | 4.65B | 2.35B |
| Long-Term Debt | 3.47B | 3.5B | 3.96B | 4.03B | 2.03B |
| Capital Lease Obligations | 614.4M | 205.5M | 196.5M | 240.2M | 166.7M |
| Deferred Tax Liabilities | 473.3M | 123.4M | 109.1M | 154.3M | 38.7M |
| Other Non-Current Liabilities | 360.9M | 341.8M | 251.8M | 225M | 111.1M |
| Total Liabilities | 5.59B | 5.58B | 5.88B | 6.05B | 3.32B |
| Total Debt | 3.82B | 3.87B | 4.33B | 4.44B | 2.31B |
| Net Debt | 3.46B | 3.36B | 4.07B | 4.16B | 2.16B |
| Debt / Equity | 3.31x | 3.16x | 8.89x | 3.33x | 4.25x |
| Debt / EBITDA | 4.63x | 5.00x | 8.71x | 12.60x | 18.66x |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 4.19x | 4.33x | 8.18x | 11.80x | 17.49x |
| Interest Coverage | 0.59x | 0.36x | -0.68x | -0.73x | -1.32x |
| Total Equity | 1.15B | 1.23B | 486.9M | 1.33B | 541.8M |
| Equity Growth % | 585.98% | 151.71% | -63.43% | 145.77% | - |
| Book Value per Share | 3.91 | 4.59 | 1.99 | 5.44 | 2.21 |
| Total Shareholders' Equity | 915.9M | 988.4M | 248M | 1.08B | 540.3M |
| Common Stock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Retained Earnings | -2.29B | -2.2B | -1.69B | -962.4M | -486.2M |
| Treasury Stock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Accumulated OCI | -25.2M | -32M | -37.7M | 80.7M | 75.1M |
| Minority Interest | 238.6M | 237.2M | 238.9M | 247.2M | 1.5M |
High Debt Service Burden
According to the latest quarterly filings, NIQ's debt-to-equity ratio has stabilized at 3.31 as of 2026Q1, reflecting a persistent reliance on external financing that continues to overshadow the company's underlying asset base and complicates its long-term financial trajectory during this intensive integration phase.
The company's balance sheet trajectory appears heavily influenced by the aggressive capital structure adopted during recent M&A activity. While the stabilization of leverage metrics suggests a potential plateau in debt accumulation, the persistent negative retained earnings of $2.3 billion indicate that the firm has yet to translate its scale into meaningful equity growth.
As reported in financial statements, NIQ maintains a substantial debt load of $3.8 billion, which, when viewed alongside its current equity position, suggests that the company's capital structure remains highly sensitive to interest rate fluctuations and potential refinancing risks in the near term.
The high debt-to-equity ratio of 3.31 indicates that the firm is operating with limited financial cushion, which may restrict its ability to pivot or invest in competitive technological upgrades. Investors should monitor whether the current debt service requirements continue to impede the company's ability to achieve positive net income.
Based on the reported figures, NIQ's asset base is heavily concentrated in goodwill, which accounts for $2.4 billion of the $6.7 billion total assets, signaling that the company's valuation is fundamentally tied to the successful integration of acquired entities rather than tangible infrastructure.
The reliance on goodwill as a primary asset component suggests that the company's book value is highly susceptible to impairment risks if the expected synergies from the GfK merger fail to materialize. The relatively modest PPE of $386.6 million further underscores the asset-light, data-centric nature of the business model.
As indicated by the 2026Q1 current ratio of 1.07, NIQ's liquidity position remains narrow, providing only a thin margin of safety to cover short-term obligations while the company navigates the ongoing operational costs associated with its global data platform integration.
The fluctuation in cash reserves, which dropped from $518.8 million in 2025Q4 to $362.3 million in 2026Q1, suggests that liquidity management is a critical operational challenge. This tight buffer may limit the company's capacity to absorb unexpected market shocks or sudden increases in data acquisition costs.
The company's reported negative retained earnings of $2.3 billion, as shown in recent filings, highlights a significant structural distortion that masks the true economic value of the firm and complicates traditional equity-based valuation metrics for potential investors.
This persistent deficit in retained earnings suggests that the company's historical losses have significantly eroded its book value, potentially rendering standard leverage ratios less informative. Analysts should investigate whether this trend is a temporary byproduct of acquisition accounting or a sign of deeper, structural profitability challenges.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying NIQ stock.
As of 2025, NIQ Global Intelligence Plc (NIQ) had total assets of $6.80B including $1.45B in current assets.
NIQ Global Intelligence Plc (NIQ) carries total debt of $3.87B, offset by $518.8M in cash and short-term investments. Comparing total debt to cash helps evaluate the company's debt burden and net leverage.
NIQ Global Intelligence Plc (NIQ) has total shareholders' equity (book value) of $988.4M ($4.59 book value per share). Book value represents the net worth of the company belonging to common stock holders.
NIQ Global Intelligence Plc (NIQ) reported a current ratio of 1.03x. A current ratio above 1.0x indicates that the company has more current assets than current liabilities, suggesting sufficient short-term liquidity.