NIQ Global Intelligence (NIQ) Stock Analysis & Winston Score

NIQ Global Intelligence (formerly NielsenIQ) collects data on what products people buy at stores and online, then sells that information to companies that want to understand consumer behavior. Its main customers are consumer goods companies — like food, beverage, and household product brands — as well as retailers who want to know how their products are selling compared to competitors. NIQ is one of the largest providers of retail measurement and consumer intelligence data in the world.

The company makes money by charging clients subscription-style fees for ongoing access to its data, analytics tools, and reports. It operates across more than 90 countries, making it one of the few data providers with truly global coverage, which is a meaningful competitive advantage. However, NIQ carries a significant debt load from its 2023 merger with GfK, and its low operating margin leaves little room for error — managing that debt while investing in faster, AI-powered analytics tools is the central challenge facing the business.

Winston Score History

Growth Profile

For growth stock investors

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+1.3% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Slow revenue growth

EPS Growth

+42.6% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

EPS growth accelerating

Insider Activity

81.0%ownership

→ Flat

Insiders holding steady — not selling despite ability to

Cash Runway

~16 months

$362M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↑ Burn rate improving

Adequate runway but may need to raise capital within 2 years

Growth context

NIQ Global Intelligence is growing revenue at 1% year-over-year. The Winston Score measures business quality today — these growth metrics show what could matter tomorrow.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Gross Margin

41.4%

Healthy — 41.4% gross margin

Operating Margin

5.8%

Thin — 5.8% operating margin

ROCE

1.4%

Weak — 1.4% return on capital

ROIC between 0% and 5%. They earn a few cents back per dollar invested in the business.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Growth

Sales YoY

+1.8%

Nearly flat sales (1.8% YoY)

EPS YoY

N/A

—

Data not available

EPS Consistency

0/8 quarters

Earnings rarely grow — volatile business

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Cash Flow

Cash Conversion

N/A

—

Data not available

FCF Margin

2.0%

Thin free cash flow (2.0%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Stability

Debt / Equity

3.96

Heavy debt load (3.96)

Interest Cover

0.62x

Dangerous — barely covers interest (0.6x)

Interest coverage below 1. Their profits don't cover the interest bill.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

N/M

no trend

Negative earnings — P/E not meaningful

P/E vs Forward

N/A

not available

Data not available

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Dividends

Not applicable for this business.

🔒 See full fundamentals and if they are improving or declining — click here for your free trial now.

Start free trial