NerdWallet, Inc. operates an online platform dedicated to providing tailored financial advice for both individual consumers and small to medium-sized businesses. The ...
NerdWallet, Inc. is a fintech company founded in 2009 by Tim Chen and Jacob Gibson, headquartered in San Francisco, California. It operates an online platform dedicated to providing tailored financial advice for both individual consumers and small to medium-sized businesses. The company facilitates connections between users and various financial product ...NerdWallet, Inc. is a fintech company founded in 2009 by Tim Chen and Jacob Gibson, headquartered in San Francisco, California. It operates an online platform dedicated to providing tailored financial advice for both individual consumers and small to medium-sized businesses. The company facilitates connections between users and various financial product providers, offering guidance through a comprehensive suite of resources including educational articles, interactive tools and calculators, and specialized product marketplaces, all accessible via its website and mobile application. Key financial areas covered encompass credit cards, mortgages, insurance, business finance solutions, personal loans, banking, investment strategies, and student lending. Serving customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, NerdWallet went public in November 2021 on the NASDAQ under the ticker NRDS. The company has approximately 650 employees and generates revenue primarily through performance-based marketing, earning commissions for referrals and leads. As of recent data, NerdWallet has a market capitalization of around $721 million, with a revenue per share of $13.21, and strong profitability metrics such as a net profit margin of 7.6% and a return on equity of 18.1%. The leadership team includes CEO Tim Chen, CFO Lauren StClair, CBO Kevin Yuann, and CPO Lynee Luque. The company is committed to its mission of providing financial clarity and has launched educational initiatives like '5 to Thrive' to help users achieve financial confidence.
YoYYoY means Year-over-Year. It compares the latest annual value with the previous annual value to show long-term trend strength.
QoQQoQ means Quarter-over-Quarter. It compares the latest quarter with the immediately previous quarter to show short-term momentum changes.
RevenueThe total money that came through the front door from selling things, before paying a single bill. Think of it as the grand total of every credit card swipe from customers. (YoY compares this year to last year's performance, while QoQ compares the current three months to the previous three).
$836.6M
+21.7%
-11.2%
Net IncomeThe absolute bottom line. If the company paid every single supplier, employee, banker, and tax collector, this is the actual money left in their pocket at the end of the day.
$48.7M
+60.2%
-78.9%
Gross MarginThe basic markup. If they sell a $100 pair of sneakers, this percentage tells you how much of that price tag is profit right after paying for the rubber and shoelaces, but before paying for things like store rent or TV commercials.
+92.4%
+1.8%
-0.7%
Operating MarginThe 'day job' efficiency score. Out of every dollar a customer spends, this shows how many cents the company keeps after making the product AND paying for all the everyday corporate overhead (like salaries, marketing, and keeping the lights on).
+8.3%
+508.6%
-72.3%
Net MarginThe final take-home percentage. When you strip away every conceivable cost, tax, and interest payment, this is the exact number of cents the company truly gets to keep from every dollar in sales.
+5.8%
+31.7%
-76.3%
Free Cash FlowThe holy grail of corporate cash. It's the spendable, physical money left over after the business pays for its daily operations AND buys the big, expensive upgrades (like new factories or servers) it needs to survive. This is the 'free' money they can use to pay dividends or buy back stock.
$130.3M
+83.0%
+19.0%
FCF MarginThe ultimate cash conversion rate. It shows how good the company is at turning regular sales directly into cold, hard, spendable cash. A high percentage means the business is an absolute cash-printing machine.
+15.6%
+50.4%
+34.1%
Debt / EquityThe financial risk gauge. It compares how much of the company's empire was built using borrowed money (loans) versus the owners' own money (shareholders). A high number means they are heavily leveraged and playing a riskier game; a low number means they are playing it safe.
0.0%
-100.0%
—
Current RatioThe 12-month survival check. It simply compares the cash they have right now (plus things they can quickly turn into cash) against the immediate bills they absolutely must pay this year. A score above 1 means they have enough in the wallet to cover the upcoming bills without panicking.
3.45x
+5.5%
+1.8%
Total AssetsThe absolute size of the company's empire. It bundles together absolutely everything of value they own—from the cash in the register and the inventory in the warehouse, to the software patents in the vault and the factories on the ground.
Operator: Good day and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the NerdWallet, Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to the very first speaker today, Zach Ogle. Zach, please go ahead.
Zach Ogle: Thank you, operator. Welcome to the NerdWallet Q2 2026 Earnings Call. Joining us today are Co-Founder and CEO, Tim Chen, and Chief Financial Officer, John Lee. Our press release and shareholder letter are available on our Investor Relations website, and a replay of this update will also be available following the conclusion of today's call. We intend to use our Investor Relations website as a means of disclosing certain material information and complying with disclosure obligations under SEC Regulation FD from time to time. As a reminder, today's call is being webcast live and recorded. Before we begin today's remarks and question-and-answer session, I would like to remind you that certain statements made during this call may relate to future events and expectations, and as such, constitute forward-looking statements. Actual results and performance may differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including the risk factors discussed in reports filed or to be filed with the SEC. We urge you to consider these risk factors and remind you that we undertake no obligation to update the information provided on this call to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should be aware that these statements should not be considered a guarantee of future performance. Furthermore, during this call, we will present both GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures is included in today's earnings press release, except where we are unable, without unreasonable efforts, to calculate certain reconciling items with confidence. With that, I will now turn it over to Tim Chen, our Co-Founder and CEO.
Tim Chen: Thanks, Zach. We reported revenue of $197 million for the second quarter, up 6% year-over-year. Non-GAAP operating income, or NGOI, of $12 million was above the midpoint of our guidance range. We're in the middle of an AI transition that is changing how people get their answers to their money questions, making now an important time to check in on our long-term objectives. We're investing in building owned audiences by vertically integrating in some areas and by improving how we register and re-engage with users in others. While the story is still being written, we are confident because of the assets we have in place: a trusted brand, a large audience, healthy financials, and a strong team on an important mission. The success we are seeing in vertical integration plays across our brokering and advisory business lines is giving us conviction to start investing incremental marketing dollars based on internal rate of return, or IRR, …