In fiscal 2025, which ended Dec 31, 2025, Nelnet, Inc. generated $423.0 million of cash from operations, down 36.2% from the year before. It spent $26.2 million on capital expenditures. That left free cash flow of $396.7 million. The company returned $43.0 million in dividends and $69.3 million in share buybacks to shareholders.
USD in millions, except per-share amounts and ratios. The percent under a figure is the change from the year before.
| Line |
FY 2026
Sep 30, 2026
|
FY 2025
Dec 31, 2025
|
FY 2024
Dec 31, 2024
|
FY 2023
Dec 31, 2023
|
FY 2022
Dec 31, 2022
|
FY 2021
Dec 31, 2021
|
FY 2020
Dec 31, 2020
|
FY 2019
Dec 31, 2019
|
FY 2018
Dec 31, 2018
|
FY 2014
Dec 31, 2014
|
FY 2013
Dec 31, 2013
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization |
87
-8.4%
|
91
-31.6%
|
133
-8.8%
|
145
-17.5%
|
176
+33.2%
|
132
-33.3%
|
198
+3.0%
|
193
+4.3%
|
185
|
108
+35.8%
|
79
-31.9%
|
| Stock-based compensation |
16
+22.9%
|
13
+10.2%
|
12
-26.9%
|
16
+16.2%
|
14
+32.8%
|
11
-36.2%
|
17
+146.9%
|
7
+3.7%
|
7
|
5
+41.2%
|
3
+10.2%
|
| Operating cash flow |
479
+2.8%
|
423
-36.2%
|
663
+53.4%
|
432
-36.8%
|
683
+42.2%
|
480
+37.6%
|
349
+16.8%
|
299
+10.3%
|
271
|
357
-7.7%
|
387
+29.4%
|
| Investing | |||||||||||
| Capital expenditures |
28
+1917.1%
|
26
+25.5%
|
21
-71.8%
|
74
+24.6%
|
59
+0.8%
|
59
-48.0%
|
113
+22.5%
|
92
-26.0%
|
125
|
26
+55.7%
|
17
+71.1%
|
| Investing cash flow |
-409
-147.9%
|
356
-85.2%
|
2,413
+24.4%
|
1,939
-14.7%
|
2,273
+91.7%
|
1,186
+90.9%
|
621
-59.3%
|
1,525
+308.2%
|
-732
|
-110
-122.1%
|
497
+162.6%
|
| Financing | |||||||||||
| Dividends paid |
47
+14.3%
|
43
+5.3%
|
41
+3.6%
|
39
+7.7%
|
37
+6.2%
|
34
+8.4%
|
32
+7.8%
|
29
+9.9%
|
27
|
19
-0.1%
|
19
-72.0%
|
| Stock buybacks |
110
+105.6%
|
69
-16.7%
|
83
+197.2%
|
28
-71.3%
|
98
+68.1%
|
58
-20.8%
|
73
+81.5%
|
40
-10.9%
|
45
|
16
+19.6%
|
13
-42.4%
|
| Financing cash flow |
-174
+88.0%
|
-737
+76.7%
|
-3,170
-17.3%
|
-2,703
+3.2%
|
-2,792
-95.2%
|
-1,430
-15.9%
|
-1,235
+31.2%
|
-1,793
-351.9%
|
712
|
-181
+79.6%
|
-887
-271.5%
|
| Change in cash | |||||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate |
-5
-1283.7%
|
0
+162.9%
|
-0
-2831.2%
|
0
+110.0%
|
-0
-32.2%
|
-0
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
| Net change in cash |
-108
+18.0%
|
43
+145.0%
|
-94
+71.6%
|
-332
-303.2%
|
163
-30.7%
|
236
+189.2%
|
-264
-974.6%
|
30
-87.9%
|
250
|
—
|
—
|
| Free cash flow |
451
-2.9%
|
397
-38.2%
|
642
+79.3%
|
358
-42.6%
|
624
+48.0%
|
421
+78.7%
|
236
+14.2%
|
206
+41.5%
|
146
|
331
-10.6%
|
370
+27.9%
|
| Per share | |||||||||||
| Free cash flow per share |
12.53
-1.7%
|
10.92
-37.7%
|
17.52
+83.1%
|
9.57
-42.3%
|
16.58
+51.8%
|
10.92
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
| Dividend per share |
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
0.40
+0.0%
|
0.40
-71.4%
|
| Shareholder returns | |||||||||||
| Returned to shareholders |
157
|
112
|
124
|
67
|
134
|
93
|
105
|
70
|
72
|
34
|
32
|
| Share of free cash flow |
34.84%
|
28.32%
|
19.33%
|
18.84%
|
21.53%
|
21.97%
|
44.59%
|
33.86%
|
49.48%
|
10.35%
|
8.56%
|
| Ratios | |||||||||||
| Cash conversion |
1.76x
|
0.99x
|
3.60x
|
4.81x
|
1.68x
|
1.22x
|
0.99x
|
2.11x
|
1.19x
|
1.16x
|
1.28x
|
How these figures are calculated
Annual columns are full-year amounts from the annual report (Form 10-K, 20-F, or 40-F). If a company restates a year, the latest filed number is shown. USD in millions, except per-share amounts and ratios. Capital expenditures, debt repaid, dividends, and buybacks are positive amounts. Investing and financing cash flow keep the filing sign, so an outflow is negative. Free cash flow is operating cash flow minus capital expenditures. The first column is the trailing twelve months through the latest quarter. Returned to shareholders is dividends plus buybacks. Free cash flow margin, capital expenditures, and stock-based compensation are divided by revenue. Cash conversion is operating cash flow divided by net income. More on our methodology.
Company profile
- Industry
- Personal Credit Institutions (SIC 6141)
- Listed as
- NNI (NYSE)
- Fiscal year ends
- December 31
- Incorporated in
- NE
- Headquarters
- Lincoln, NE
- SEC filer status
- Large accelerated filer
- SEC CIK
- 1258602
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Source: SEC EDGAR filings. This is company-reported data, not investment advice.