Nu Stock Falls 3.9%, Erasing $2.8 Billion as 6.9% NPL Rate Tests Credit Growth

Nu Stock Falls 3.9%, Erasing $2.8 Billion as 6.9% NPL Rate Tests Credit Growth

SÃO PAULO, August 30, 2026, 12:50 EDT

  • Nu closed Friday at $14.30, down 3.9%, on 79.1 million shares.
  • The move erased about $2.8 billion of market value.
  • Second-quarter net income reached $1.1 billion, while 90-day-plus delinquencies rose to 6.9%.
  • Analysts’ average $18.40 target implies 28.7% upside.

Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NU) fell 3.9% to $14.30 on Friday. The decline erased about $2.8 billion from its equity value.

Stock chart for NYSE:NU

Trading reached 79.1 million shares, 3% above the 65-day average. The broader financial-services group was nearly flat, making the underperformance company-specific rather than a sector move WSJ market data.

The selloff tests a sharp earnings-versus-credit split. Nu produced record quarterly net income of $1.1 billion, yet its mature-delinquency ratio rose 35 basis points sequentially to 6.9%.

Investor measureLatest readingComparison
Share price$14.30-3.9% Friday; -3.1% for the week
Volume79.1 million103% of 65-day average
Q2 gross revenueNearly $5.9 billion+39% year over year, FX neutral
Q2 net income$1.1 billion+49% year over year, FX neutral
Credit portfolio$39.4 billion+37% year over year, FX neutral
90-day-plus NPL ratio6.9%+35 basis points sequentially
Return on equity33%Q2 2026

Nu’s credit portfolio expanded 37% from a year earlier to $39.4 billion. Deposits grew 18% to $45.3 billion, leaving a useful funding cushion as lending scaled.

Near-term stress improved. Loans 15 to 90 days past due fell 16 basis points to 4.8%, and the cost of credit declined 9% from the first quarter.

Older arrears moved the other way. That 6.9% late-stage ratio matters because it captures weaker borrowers migrating through the book.

Profitability still provides room. Net interest margin climbed 180 basis points to 22.9%, while risk-adjusted margin rose to 12.4% from 9.5% Nu’s second-quarter results.

Customer count reached 139 million after four million additions during the quarter. Average monthly revenue per active customer held near $17, with activity at 83.5%.

At Friday’s close, Nu trades at about 16.4 times the $0.87 consensus 2026 earnings estimate. The multiple drops to 12.7 times the $1.13 estimate for 2027.

Wall Street remains constructive. Seventeen of 22 tracked analysts rate the shares Buy, three Hold and two Underweight. Their average target is $18.40, with a $19 median.

The next test is third-quarter reporting, currently expected on November 12. Consensus calls for $0.23 per share, up from $0.22 in the second quarter.

Risks: Brazilian rates, currency moves and unemployment can change repayment behavior quickly. Faster loan growth could also lift provisions before customer revenue catches up.

Friday’s decline therefore resets the price, not the debate. Investors must decide whether expanding margins can keep absorbing a still-rising stock of late-stage delinquencies.

NU investor dashboard

Profit record meets a credit-quality test

Market data: Aug. 28, 2026, 16:00 EDT
Financials: Q2 2026
Close
$14.30
▼ 3.90% Friday
Equity value erased
~$2.8B
Friday estimate
Volume
79.1M
103% of 65-day average
Forward P/E
16.4×
2026 EPS consensus: $0.87

Five-session close

Aug 24Aug 25Aug 26Aug 27Aug 2814.7615.1415.1714.8814.30
Friday underperformance was 3.93 percentage points versus the nearly flat financial-services group.

Analyst map

RatingCount
Buy17
Hold3
Underweight2

Buy share: 77.3%

TargetPrice
Average$18.40 · +28.7%
Median$19.00 · +32.9%
Range$10–$23

Operating engine

Q2 measureReadingChange
Gross revenue$5.9B+39% YoY
Net income$1.1B+49% YoY
Credit portfolio$39.4B+37% YoY
Deposits$45.3B+18% YoY
NIM22.9%+180 bp QoQ
ROE33%Record profit
Growth rates shown on an FX-neutral basis where reported by Nu.

Credit watch

IndicatorLatestQoQ
15–90 day NPL4.8%-16 bp
90+ day NPL6.9%+35 bp
Risk-adjusted NIM12.4%vs 9.5%
Cost of credit$1.7B-9%

Investor question: Can margin gains and customer monetization keep outrunning the migration of newer loans into late-stage delinquency?

Valuation bridge

YearEPS estimateP/E at $14.30
2026$0.8716.4×
2027$1.1312.7×
2028$1.469.8×

What changes the case

Next earningsNov. 12, 2026
Q3 EPS consensus$0.23
Bull signal90+ NPL stabilizes
Bear signalProvision growth outruns NII

Key sensitivities: Brazilian rates, unemployment, FX translation and unsecured-credit seasoning.

Sources: Nu Holdings Q2 2026 results; WSJ Market Data and analyst estimates. Prices and estimates are time-sensitive and may change.

Iwona Majkowska

Iwona Majkowska is a financial markets journalist at TS2.tech. She covers stocks, artificial intelligence and technology, with a focus on the stories moving U.S. and global markets. Before turning to financial journalism, she worked in equity research and financial analysis. She is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics. Follow Iwona Majkowska on Google News.

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