Should You Invest $3,000 in Nu Holdings Right Now?

The Motley Fool · 1d ago

Key Points

  • Nu's most notable financial trait is its strong growth, with profits set to soar, according to analyst estimates.

  • The company is able to cross-sell more products to its customer base, which supports switching costs.

  • Investors can buy shares today at a cheaper forward price-to-earnings ratio relative to the S&P 500 index.

Over the three years leading up to their peak, shares in Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU) skyrocketed 329%. Since hitting that all-time high, however, they have fallen 24% (as of July 23). This drop could have been caused by a number of factors, such as a worry that growth will slow, macroeconomic factors, or a leadership change, all of which weakened market sentiment.

Opportunistic investors will take the time to figure out if this fintech stock is a worthy buy on the dip. Is it time to invest $3,000 in Nu, which will get you about 211 shares at the current price? The evidence is clear on what to do.

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Person using Nu Holdings app on phone.

Image source: Getty Images.

Driving profitable growth while building a moat

One of Nu's notable features is that it continues to report surging growth. During the first quarter (ended March 31), revenue jumped 42% year over year to $5.3 billion. The customer base, now at 135 million, increased 14% compared to Q1 2025.

Additionally, Nu's monthly average revenue per active customer was $15.90 in the first quarter. That figure rose 23% year over year on a currency-neutral basis.

This has propelled profitability for the business. Nu's diluted earnings per share soared 44.9% between 2024 and 2025. And over the following three years, consensus analyst estimates call for this bottom-line figure to grow at a compound annual rate of 35%.

Because the business doesn't operate any physical bank branches, it can run a leaner model that can capture cost advantages as it scales up. What's more, like other banks, Nu's ability to cross-sell financial products can drive higher switching costs for customers. At the end of 2024, the average customer used 4.1 different offerings, with newer cohorts ramping up quickly.

There's value at today's price

The best investors understand that high-quality companies are rare. These investors have also figured out that it's even harder to spot these kinds of opportunities at attractive valuations. That's why now is a great time to invest $3,000 in this fintech stock.

Nu currently trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.2. The market is offering shares in this company at a small discount to the overall S&P 500 index. This valuation disparity might not last very long.

As mentioned, Nu's growth has been excellent. And there are signs it's building durable competitive advantages. This is clearly a business deserving of a higher forward P/E multiple, which introduces another potential tailwind for investors. Of course, management has to continue executing well.

If you have a holding period of five years, then you should consider buying Nu stock. It's positioned to be a winner.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nu Holdings. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.