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National Research Corp(NRC)

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EXPLORE ADVISORIES AND THEIR HISTORY
QUALITY SIGNAL RECENCY
1-STAR RATING
Consider higher Upturn Star rating
BUY for 3 days
PROFIT SINCE LAST BUY
+1.53% ▲
LAST CLOSE
$23.83
10/30/2026
(24-hour delay)

Advisory History & Simulated Performance *

*as per simulation (see disclosures)
  • ALL
  • 1Y
  • 1M
  • 1W
  • BUY Advisory
  • SELL Advisory (Profit)
  • SELL Advisory (Loss)
  • Profit
  • Loss
  • PASS (Skip)
Upturn Stock price based on last close iconStock price based on last close
Simulated performance—not actual client returns. Excludes advisory subscription fees, trading commissions, and taxes, which would reduce returns. Results depend on calculation assumptions and do not guarantee future outcomes. See Disclosures for full methodology, assumptions, and limitations.

Advisory Performance History (Simulated)Advisory Performance History info

Simulated performance—not actual client returns. Excludes advisory subscription fees, trading commissions, and taxes, which would reduce returns. Results depend on calculation assumptions and do not guarantee future outcomes. See Disclosures for full methodology, assumptions, and limitations.

Upturn Advisory & Investor View for NRC

10/30/2026: NRC (1-star) has a low Upturn Star Rating. Not recommended to BUY.

National Research Corp is a specialized provider of patient experience and healthcare analytics software, offering a stable and recurring revenue-based model. Its primary strengths lie in its deep, long-standing relationships with US health systems and a focused approach to healthcare data. The company's main growth opportunity centers on expanding into employee engagement and utilizing AI to deliver more actionable insights to its clients. However, investors should monitor risks regarding competition from large-scale enterprise platforms and potential healthcare sector consolidation. The stock is a suitable consideration for value and dividend-focused investors seeking exposure to the healthcare services sector, provided they monitor the firm's competitive positioning in a rapidly evolving digital market.

How to Read the Upturn Advisory

The Upturn Star Rating and the current BUY, SELL, or PASS advisory are generated by Upturn’s AI advisory engine based on proprietary signal analysis, price behavior, advisory history, and historical signal performance.

Company fundamentals, valuation, risks, and news provide supporting context about the business.

Investor Fit

Investor styleFitWhy
Growth investorMixed fitWhile steady, the company is a mature player and may not offer the explosive growth profiles sought by aggressive growth investors.
Momentum investorMixed fitMomentum appeal is limited, likely requiring a clear, positive technical upturn signal to be attractive.
Value investorStrong fitThe company's stable cash flows and predictable business model often appeal to value-oriented investors.
Dividend investorStrong fitThe history of consistent dividends makes it a suitable candidate for income-focused portfolios.
Low-risk investorStrong fitLow debt and stable demand within the healthcare sector offer a lower-risk profile compared to high-growth tech stocks.

Risk Profile

Risk factorLevelWhy it matters
Price volatilityLowThe stock's historical behavior suggests a relatively stable price trajectory.
Valuation riskMediumAs a stable dividend payer, the stock's valuation is sensitive to broader interest rate environments.
Competition risk (Direct Experience Management)MediumLarge enterprise platforms like Qualtrics pose a competitive threat to specialized niche providers.
Business qualityStrongThe recurring revenue model and deep healthcare penetration indicate a high-quality, defensible business.
Dividend incomeMediumWhile consistent, yields are dependent on continued operational profitability.
Execution riskLowThe company has a long track record of operational stability and consistent client delivery.

Price Behavior

Strong Uptrend
PRICE PATH

Strong Uptrend

The stock has maintained a strong upward price trend across the last three quarters.

Highly Choppy
PRICE STABILITY

Highly Choppy

The stock has experienced frequent, large price swings that make its near-term movement less predictable.

Analysis of Past Performance

Type Stock
Historic Profit -18.55%
Avg. Invested days 30
Today’s Advisory Consider higher Upturn Star rating
Upturn Advisory Rating upturn star rating icon
Upturn Advisory Performance Upturn Advisory Performance icon 2.0
Stock Returns Performance Upturn Returns Performance icon 1.0
Upturn Profits based on simulation icon Profits based on simulation
Upturn last close icon Last Close 10/30/2026

Upturn Scorecard

Upturn Star Rating

★★★★★
NRC receives a 3-star rating, supported by solid unit economics. The rating is constrained by weak price momentum.

Company Fundamentals

★★★★★
NRC has moderate overall fundamentals (3 stars), with moderate financial health, soft growth momentum, and solid ownership. In FY2025 versus FY2024, solid cash generation (FCF margin 11.5%) is partially offset by negative earnings growth (-53.2%), slightly negative revenue growth (-4.0%), soft profitability (net margin 8.4%).

Financial Health Rating

★★★★★
NRC's financial health is supported by solid cash strength, including free-cash-flow generation (11.5% of revenue). Liquidity is moderate (3 stars), which helps explain the 3-star overall score.

Growth Momentum Score

★★★★★
NRC's growth profile is soft, with the least-weak measure being revenue growth at -4.0% FY2025 versus FY2024. By comparison, while earnings growth (-53.2%, negative) and free-cash-flow growth (-17.9%, negative) hold the profile back, so recent growth is not broad-based across the business.

Ownership

★★★★★
Institutional ownership is 53.4% and approximately 51.4% of outstanding shares are publicly tradable, supporting liquidity and institutional participation. Insider ownership of 51.90% supports management-shareholder alignment.

Top 5 Institutional Investors

Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC 9.18%
BlackRock Inc 4.80%
Morgan Stanley - Brokerage Accounts 3.88%
Vanguard Capital Management, LLC 3.01%
Dimensional Fund Advisors, Inc. 2.22%

Unit Economics (Per $1K Revenue)

★★★★★
NRC generates approximately $563 of gross profit, $164 of operating income, and $115 of free cash flow for every $1,000 of revenue. Based on FY2025 results. Solid margins and solid cash conversion support the rating, although capital efficiency remains solid.

Economic Dimensions

★★★★★
Effective Tax Rate: 34.99%

Quantitative Style Profile

★★★★★
NRC has a high-quality, liquid, relatively low-volatility profile. Weak momentum is the primary drawback, while valuation that is moderately attractive rather than deeply discounted.

Style Classification

Quality Focused

Quality TiltLow VolatilitySmall / Mid Cap RiskShort Squeeze RiskHighly Liquid / Institution-Friendly

Key Highlights

Company Size Small-Cap Stock
Market Capitalization 505.71M USD
Price to earnings Ratio 88.26
1Y Target Price 27
Price to earnings Ratio 88.26
1Y Target Price 27
Volume (30-day avg) 103.0K shares
Beta 0.28
52 Weeks Range 11.45 - 24.40
Updated Date 11/01/2026
52 Weeks Range 11.45 - 24.40
Updated Date 11/01/2026
Dividends yield (FY) 2.72%
Basic EPS (TTM) 0.27

How Company Makes Money

Business areaWhat it includesRetail investor read
Patient Experience AnalyticsSubscription-based fees for platform access and reporting.The company makes most of its money from long-term contracts with hospitals that pay to use its survey and performance data tools.
Consulting and Data ServicesPerformance improvement consulting and advisory services.Additional revenue is generated by helping healthcare clients turn data insights into operational changes.

Analyzing Revenue: Products, Geography and Growth

Revenue by Geography

Geography revenue - Year on Year

Earnings Date

Report Date 2026-10-27
When After Market
Estimate 0.21
Actual 0.21

Profitability

Profit Margin 4.48%
Operating Margin (TTM) 23.2%

Management Effectiveness

Return on Assets (TTM) 10.32%
Return on Equity (TTM) 248.11%

Valuation

Trailing PE 88.26
Forward PE 17.21
Enterprise Value 603.92M
Price to Sales(TTM) 3.52
Enterprise Value 603.92M
Price to Sales(TTM) 3.52
Enterprise Value to Revenue 4.2
Enterprise Value to EBITDA 24.66
Shares Outstanding 21.22M
Shares Floating 10.92M
Shares Outstanding 21.22M
Shares Floating 10.92M
Percent Insiders 51.9
Percent Institutions 53.43

Financial Metrics

🧭 Investment Snapshot

Total Revenue (Scale)

Information icon Total money earned from selling products or services before any costs. It is needed to understand the scale of the business and its ability to generate income.

Net Income (Profit)

Information icon Final profit after all expenses, interest, and taxes are deducted. It is needed to determine the overall profitability available to shareholders.

Free Cash Flow (Cash Strength)

Information icon Cash remaining after operating activities and capital expenditures, showing cash available for growth. It is needed to evaluate the company’s ability to invest, pay dividends, or reduce debt.

📈 Growth & Strength

Operating Income (Core Profit)

Information icon Profit from core operations after deducting all operating expenses. It is needed to measure how efficiently the company runs its primary business activities.

EBITDA (Cash Earnings)

Information icon Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, indicating operating cash potential. It is needed to compare operating performance across companies without accounting or financing differences.

Gross Profit (Unit Profitability)

Information icon Revenue minus cost of revenue, showing profit after direct production costs. It is needed to evaluate core business profitability before overhead expenses.

🛡️ Financial Safety

Cash (Liquidity Buffer)

Information icon Total cash and cash equivalents on hand. It is needed to evaluate immediate liquidity and financial flexibility.

Total Debt (Leverage Risk)

Information icon Total debt including both short-term and long-term components. It is needed to assess the company’s leverage and financial risk.

Net Working Capital (Short-Term Health)

Information icon Current assets minus current liabilities, indicating short-term liquidity strength. It is needed to assess whether the company can meet its short-term obligations.

🧱 Balance Sheet Strength

Stockholder Equity (Net Worth)

Information icon Total equity value held by shareholders. It is needed to understand the net worth of the company from the owners’ perspective.

Total Assets (Asset Base)

Information icon The full value of everything the company owns, including cash, inventory, equipment, and investments. It is needed to understand the resource base used to generate revenue.

Income Before Tax (Pre-Tax Earnings)

Information icon Income before provision for income taxes. It is needed to analyze profitability independent of tax structures.

⚙️ Cost & Drag Factors

Cost of Revenue (Production Cost)

Information icon Direct costs required to produce and deliver the products or services sold. It is needed to assess efficiency in production and service delivery.

Total Operating Expenses (Operating Cost)

Information icon Indirect costs of running the business such as salaries, marketing, and administration. It is needed to understand how much it costs to sustain ongoing business operations.

Income Tax Expense (Tax Drag)

Information icon Amount of taxes paid or payable to the government. It is needed to evaluate the impact of taxation on overall profitability.

Form CRS provides a relationship summary of our automated advisory services, flat subscription fees, and conflicts of interest. Form ADV Part 2A brochure contains complete details on services, billing, and disclosures. If any summary differs from our current regulatory filings, the filed Form ADV controls.