Nubank vs Samsung: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Nubank reported $15.8B of revenue in FY2025 and $2.9B of net income. Samsung reported ~$236.9B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$31.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Nubank
Nubank turned its first annual profit in 2023 ($1.03 billion on $8.03 billion revenue) and has scaled fast since. Under IFRS it reported FY2024 revenue of $11.52 billion and net income of $1.97 billion, then FY2025 revenue of $15.77 billion and net income of $2.87 billion. Using its newer managerial P&L, it reported Q4 2025 revenue of $4.9 billion and net income of $895 million with a 33% ROE. In Q2 2026, gross revenue rose 39% to $5.88 billion and net income reached $1.061 billion, up 49% FX-neutral, with a record 33% return on equity.
Samsung
Samsung's earnings follow the memory cycle. Revenue fell from ~$215 billion (KRW 302.2 trillion) in 2022 to ~$184 billion (KRW 258.9 trillion) in 2023 during a chip downturn, then recovered to ~$214 billion (KRW 300.9 trillion) in 2024 and ~$237 billion (KRW 333.6 trillion) in 2025, when net income reached about $31.5 billion (KRW 44.3 trillion). In 2026, AI server demand created a memory shortage. Q1 operating profit of ~$40.6 billion (KRW 57.2 trillion) exceeded the full-year 2025 total, and Q2 reached ~$63.5 billion (KRW 89.5 trillion) on ~$122 billion (KRW 171.5 trillion) revenue. Higher memory costs also squeezed Samsung's own devices: the MX and Networks unit lost ~$497 million (KRW 0.7 trillion) in Q2 2026 on ~$23.6 billion (KRW 33.2 trillion) revenue.
Revenue and profit by year
Nubank
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $15.8B | $2.9B | 18.2% | +37.0% | Source |
| FY2024 | $11.5B | $2B | 17.1% | +43.4% | Source |
| FY2023 | $8B | $1B | 12.8% | +67.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $4.8B | -$364.6M | -7.6% | +182.2% | Source |
| FY2021 | $1.7B | -$165M | -9.7% | +130.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | $737.1M | -$171.5M | -23.3% | +20.4% | Source |
| FY2019 | $612.1M | -$92.5M | -15.1% | — | Source |
Samsung
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$236.9B | ~$31.4B | 13.3% | +10.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$213.6B | ~$23.9B | 11.2% | +16.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$183.8B | ~$10.3B | 5.6% | -14.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$214.6B | ~$38.9B | 18.1% | +8.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$198.5B | ~$27.9B | 14.0% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Nubank
- Interest And Financial IncomeMajor
Interest and gains from credit cards, loans, securities, and other financial instruments.
- Fee And Commission IncomeMaterial
Interchange, payment, account, insurance, investment, and marketplace-related fees.
- Deposit SpreadMaterial
Funding and yield economics from Nubank's large deposit base.
- Cross-Sell ProductsGrowth
Insurance, investments, secured lending, payroll lending, merchant products, and new geographies.
Samsung
- Memory semiconductors
- Foundry and system LSI
- Galaxy smartphones and mobile devices
- Display panels
- TVs and appliances
- Network equipment
- Harman automotive and audio
Business model and strategy
Nubank
How it makes money
Nubank earns revenue mainly from interest on credit card balances, personal loans, payroll and secured loans, and from yield on the securities it buys with customer deposits. Fee and commission income adds interchange on card spending, late fees, and commissions from insurance, investments and marketplace sales.
Growth strategy
Nubank is growing by deepening products for existing customers (secured and payroll loans, investments, insurance, small-business banking), scaling Mexico after its 2026 bank launch and Colombia, and entering the US through a sponsor bank while its national bank charter is finalized.
Competitive advantage
Nubank's edge is cost and scale. It runs without branches, reported a cost to serve below $1 per active customer per month and a record efficiency ratio of 19.9% in Q4 2025, and gains most new customers through referrals. Transaction and deposit data from more than 130 million customers feed its underwriting models, and that data advantage grows as more Brazilians use Nubank as their primary account.
Samsung
How it makes money
Samsung earns money from two groups of businesses. Device Solutions (DS) makes and sells memory (DRAM, HBM, NAND), System LSI chips such as Exynos processors and ISOCELL image sensors, and contract foundry manufacturing.
Growth strategy
Samsung's growth plan centers on AI memory: ramping HBM4 for Nvidia and AMD accelerators, developing HBM4E, and adding DRAM capacity at Pyeongtaek. In foundry it is pursuing 2nm gate-all-around production and building its Taylor, Texas fab to win customers from TSMC. On the device side it relies on Galaxy AI features, foldables and premium TVs to defend share against Apple and Chinese brands.
Competitive advantage
Samsung's edge is manufacturing scale and breadth. It is the largest memory producer and one of only three major DRAM makers, alongside SK hynix and Micron. That lets it capture pricing upswings like the 2026 AI-driven shortage.
Questions about Nubank vs Samsung
Which company has higher revenue — Nu Holdings Ltd. or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Nu Holdings Ltd. reported $15.8B (FY2025), while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. reported ~$236.9B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is the larger business, with Nu Holdings Ltd. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Nu Holdings Ltd. vs Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Nu Holdings Ltd.'s market capitalisation stands at $66.3B, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.'s is $1.33T. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Nu Holdings Ltd..
Which is more financially efficient — Nu Holdings Ltd. or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Nu Holdings Ltd. generates $1.57M / employee in revenue per employee, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. generates $914k / employee. Nu Holdings Ltd. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Nu Holdings Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. make money?
Nu Holdings Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Nu Holdings Ltd.: Nubank earns revenue mainly from interest on credit card balances, personal loans, payroll and secured loans, and from yield on the securities it buys with customer deposits. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.: Samsung earns money from two groups of businesses.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Nu Holdings Ltd. or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Nu Holdings Ltd. trades at 4.2x P/S and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. at 5.6x P/S. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Nu Holdings Ltd.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Nu Holdings Ltd. bigger than Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
By last reported revenue, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (~$236.9B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Nu Holdings Ltd. ($15.8B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Nubank vs Samsung overview