New York, January 22, 2026, 21:34 (ET) — Market closed
- Nu Holdings shares ended the day 4.4% higher at $18.00, with after-hours trading showing little movement.
- Nubank’s parent inked a multi-year deal with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team
- Traders are eyeing whether the momentum carries into Friday and looking for early clues on Nu’s strategy with the deal
Nu Holdings Ltd, the company behind Nubank, saw its shares rise 4.4% to $18.00 by Thursday’s close, following a 1.6% gain the day before. In after-hours trading, the stock held steady near $17.98. 1
The move came after Nu revealed a multi-year deal with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team on Wednesday. For investors, it signals Nu’s push to expand its brand outside Brazil, all while watching expenses. 2
The companies announced that Nu will become an Official Team Partner starting with the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season. The partnership includes on-track and off-track campaigns featuring drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, alongside team principal Toto Wolff. Nu highlighted that Formula One reaches more than 827 million fans worldwide and serves over 127 million customers in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. 3
“This partnership gives us a powerful opportunity to connect with hundreds of millions of fans,” said Cristina Junqueira, Nu’s co-founder and chief growth officer. She also oversees Nu’s growing U.S. business. Financial details were not disclosed. 4
“Innovation and disruption is at the heart of everything we do,” Wolff said in the announcement. 5
Nu closed close to its session peak, but Friday will reveal if buyers hold their ground or head for the exits. Investors usually circle back fast to fundamentals — customer growth, lending appetite, and the cost of acquiring each new account.
Sponsorship deals, though powerful, can backfire. When marketing expenses outpace new customer growth or credit losses spike in key markets, the stock’s surge can vanish almost overnight.
Mercedes is set to unveil its 2026 car online on Feb. 2, just over a month before the season kicks off in Australia on March 8. Any Nu-branded marketing linked to these events might influence sentiment heading into next week. 6
