NNI vs. MMS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) and Maximus, Inc. (MMS).

Performance

NNI vs. MMS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) and Maximus, Inc. (MMS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NNI vs. MMS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NNI Nelnet, Inc.	-2.76%	25.71%	22.41%	-1.64%	-6.04%	38.71%	24.01%	12.66%	-3.32%	9.27%
MMS Maximus, Inc.	-25.41%	17.47%	-9.70%	16.01%	-6.39%	10.31%	-0.07%	15.90%	-8.53%	28.68%

Fundamentals

Market Cap NNI : $4.69B MMS : $3.54B
EPS NNI : $11.78 MMS : $6.59
PE Ratio NNI : 10.95 MMS : 9.73
PEG Ratio NNI : 0.88 MMS : 0.76
PS Ratio NNI : 2.61 MMS : 0.67
PB Ratio NNI : 1.27 MMS : 2.06
Total Revenue (TTM) NNI : $1.80B MMS : $5.37B
Gross Profit (TTM) NNI : $1.17B MMS : $1.28B
EBITDA (TTM) NNI : $725.93M MMS : $690.89M

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NNI achieves a -2.76% return, which is significantly higher than MMS's -25.41% return. Over the past 10 years, NNI has outperformed MMS with an annualized return of 13.76%, while MMS has yielded a comparatively lower 3.17% annualized return.

NNI

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: -0.39%
• YTD: -2.76%
• 6M: 3.38%
• 1Y: 17.40%
• 3Y*: 13.17%
• 5Y*: 13.13%
• 10Y*: 13.76%

MMS

• 1D: -1.43%
• 1M: -15.22%
• YTD: -25.41%
• 6M: -29.27%
• 1Y: -4.50%
• 3Y*: -5.18%
• 5Y*: -5.41%
• 10Y*: 3.17%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

NNI vs. MMS — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

NNI

NNI Risk / Return Rank: 67
NNI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
NNI Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
NNI Omega Ratio Rank: 58
NNI Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
NNI Martin Ratio Rank: 72

MMS

MMS Risk / Return Rank: 34
MMS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
MMS Sortino Ratio Rank: 31
MMS Omega Ratio Rank: 31
MMS Calmar Ratio Rank: 38
MMS Martin Ratio Rank: 35

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

NNI vs. MMS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) and Maximus, Inc. (MMS). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	NNI	MMS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.76	-0.13	+0.89
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.27	0.05	+1.22
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.01	+0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.65	-0.13	+1.78
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.72	-0.40	+4.12
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NNI vs. MMS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NNI Sharpe Ratio is 0.76, which is higher than the MMS Sharpe Ratio of -0.13. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NNI and MMS, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NNI	MMS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.76	-0.13	+0.89
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	-0.20	+0.80
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.11	+0.40
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.24	0.31	-0.07

Correlation

The correlation between NNI and MMS is 0.39, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

NNI vs. MMS - Dividend Comparison

NNI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.96%, less than MMS's 1.92% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NNI Nelnet, Inc.	0.96%	0.90%	1.05%	1.20%	1.08%	0.92%	1.15%	1.27%	1.26%	1.06%	0.99%	1.25%
MMS Maximus, Inc.	1.92%	1.39%	1.61%	1.36%	1.53%	1.41%	1.53%	1.38%	0.59%	0.25%	0.32%	0.32%

Drawdowns

NNI vs. MMS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NNI drawdown since its inception was -89.95%, which is greater than MMS's maximum drawdown of -61.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NNI and MMS.

Drawdown Indicators

	NNI	MMS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-89.95%	-61.45%	-28.50%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.10%	-34.92%	+24.82%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.06%	-40.40%	+15.34%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.04%	-40.40%	-3.64%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.39%	-34.92%	+26.53%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-22.35%	-16.77%	-5.58%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.47%	11.46%	-6.99%

Volatility

NNI vs. MMS - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) is 5.90%, while Maximus, Inc. (MMS) has a volatility of 8.78%. This indicates that NNI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than MMS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NNI	MMS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.90%	8.78%	-2.88%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.25%	27.21%	-11.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.10%	33.75%	-10.65%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.79%	27.50%	-5.71%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.91%	27.67%	-0.76%

Financials

NNI vs. MMS - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Nelnet, Inc. and Maximus, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

NNI - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Nelnet, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 225.38M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

MMS - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Maximus, Inc. reported a gross profit of 318.67M and revenue of 1.35B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 23.7%.

NNI - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Nelnet, Inc. reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 225.38M, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

MMS - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Maximus, Inc. reported an operating income of 146.21M and revenue of 1.35B, resulting in an operating margin of 10.9%.

NNI - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Nelnet, Inc. reported a net income of 57.77M and revenue of 225.38M, resulting in a net margin of 25.6%.

MMS - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Maximus, Inc. reported a net income of 93.94M and revenue of 1.35B, resulting in a net margin of 7.0%.