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GATX vs NNI
Which Stock Would AI Choose? GATX Corporation (GATX) vs. Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- GATX Corporation (GATX) operates in railcar and aircraft engine leasing, while Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) is a diversified education finance and technology services company — two fundamentally different business models.
- GATX delivered strong FY2025 results with EPS of $9.12 and has guided for $9.50–$10.10 in 2026, supported by its largest-ever acquisition of approximately 101,000 railcars from Wells Fargo.
- Nelnet's FY2025 EPS of $11.79 was significantly boosted by a one-time $175 million pre-tax gain from the partial redemption of its ALLO Holdings investment, which masks underlying operational headwinds.
- GATX has raised its dividend for 108 consecutive years and was recently added to the S&P 400 Dividend Aristocrats Index; Nelnet offers a more modest dividend with 11 consecutive years of increases.
- From a volatility standpoint, GATX carries a beta of 1.18 versus Nelnet's 0.78, suggesting GATX has exhibited greater sensitivity to broader market movements in recent periods.
- Both stocks face distinct risk profiles: GATX is exposed to industrial and transportation cycles, while Nelnet contends with declining federal student loan servicing volumes and below-market revenue growth projections.
Introduction
Investors evaluating mid-cap financial and industrial stocks may find themselves comparing GATX and NNI — two companies that, while operating in entirely different sectors, both generate steady cash flows through long-lived asset portfolios and service-oriented business lines. GATX, with a market capitalization near $6.6 billion, is a global leader in railcar and aircraft engine leasing. NNI, valued at approximately $4.8 billion, anchors its business in student loan servicing, education technology, and digital banking. This stock comparison examines how these two companies differ in recent performance, market positioning, and the factors that may influence their relative appeal to traders and long-term investors alike.
GATX Overview and Recent Performance
GATX Corporation is a Chicago-based transportation asset leasing company founded in 1898. The company operates through three primary segments: Rail North America, Rail International, and Engine Leasing. Its core business involves leasing tank and freight railcars, servicing the petroleum, chemical, food, and agriculture industries, while its Engine Leasing segment — including joint ventures with Rolls-Royce — leases aircraft spare engines to airlines globally. In recent weeks, GATX shares have traded around the $178–$184 range, recovering from a dip near $167 in early July. The stock has posted a one-year return of roughly 23%, reflecting investor confidence following what management described as an "exceptional" 2025. Full-year 2025 net income reached $333.3 million, or $9.12 per diluted share, up from $7.78 in 2024. On January 1, 2026, the company closed its largest-ever acquisition — approximately 101,000 railcars from Wells Fargo in a $4.2 billion joint venture with Brookfield Infrastructure Partners — which is expected to be modestly accretive to earnings in year one. Additionally, the board approved an 8.2% dividend increase to $0.66 per share and a new $300 million share repurchase program, reinforcing management's confidence in the long-term outlook.
NNI Overview and Recent Performance
NNI — Nelnet, Inc. — is a Lincoln, Nebraska-based financial services and education technology company founded in 1977. Its business spans four segments: Loan Servicing and Systems (focused on student and consumer loan servicing), Education Technology Services and Payments (providing software and payment tools for educational institutions), Asset Generation and Management (acquisition and management of loan assets), and Nelnet Bank (a digital banking platform for private education and consumer lending). In recent trading sessions, NNI shares have hovered between $128 and $135, with a one-year return of approximately 10%. The company reported full-year 2025 EPS of $11.79 on net income of $428.5 million, though a substantial portion of that profit stemmed from a one-time $175 million pre-tax gain related to the partial redemption of its ALLO Holdings investment. The underlying operational picture is more mixed: Nelnet's federal student loan servicing portfolio continues to shrink — borrowers serviced declined to 14.5 million as of mid-2025 — and revenue per borrower has been pressured under the new USDS (Unified Servicing and Data Solution) contract with the Department of Education. The company has also been expanding through acquisitions, including an agreement to acquire Finastra's Canadian student loan servicing business. TD Cowen maintained a Hold rating on the stock in late 2025, with an average analyst price target near $135.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
At the most fundamental level, GATX and NNI represent two markedly different investment profiles. GATX is an asset-heavy industrial leasing company whose performance is closely tied to rail freight volumes, industrial production, and global air travel demand. Its competitive moat lies in scale — managing a fleet of over 156,000 railcars globally — and the durability of long-term lease contracts that generate predictable cash flows. NNI, by contrast, is a financial services and technology company whose fortunes are linked to education finance policy, consumer credit trends, and the success of its diversification away from federal loan servicing.
On valuation, the contrast is stark. GATX trades at a P/E (price-to-earnings) ratio of approximately 19.8x, a premium to NNI's roughly 11.6x multiple. However, Nelnet's lower multiple partly reflects the market's recognition that its 2025 earnings were inflated by non-recurring gains. In terms of growth trajectory, GATX is integrating a transformative acquisition and projects 2026 EPS growth in the range of 4%–11% from the 2025 base; NNI faces consensus revenue growth forecasts of just 0.3% annually, below both industry and market averages. Dividend investors may favor GATX for its 108-year track record of uninterrupted payouts and recent S&P 400 Dividend Aristocrats inclusion, whereas NNI, while consistently raising its dividend for 11 years, offers a lower yield. Risk profiles diverge as well: GATX faces cyclical industrial exposure, while NNI must navigate regulatory uncertainty around federal student loan policy and manage a debt load that operating cash flow does not fully cover.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable trends, relative stability, and near-term catalysts, Tickeron's AI framework would likely view GATX as the more favorably positioned of the two stocks in the current market environment. The company benefits from a recently closed transformative acquisition that should begin contributing to earnings, a clear and upwardly revised guidance range for 2026, strong fleet utilization metrics at 99.0%, and a shareholder-friendly capital allocation program anchored by 108 years of uninterrupted dividends. NNI, while trading at an optically cheaper multiple, carries the burden of earnings quality concerns — its FY2025 results relied heavily on a non-recurring gain — and faces structural headwinds from a shrinking federal loan servicing base and near-flat revenue growth projections. That said, no AI model can predict future outcomes with certainty, and each investor's time horizon, risk tolerance, and portfolio objectives will ultimately determine which stock aligns more closely with their strategy.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is GATX is a Hold and NNI is a StrongBuy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
GATX’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileNNI’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- GATX’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- NNI’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
GATX’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while NNI’s TA Score has 7 bullish TA indicator(s).
- GATX’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 3 bearish.
- NNI’s TA Score: 7 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
GATX (@Finance/Rental/Leasing) experienced а -3.12% price change this week, while NNI (@Savings Banks) price change was +1.88% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Finance/Rental/Leasing industry was -3.57%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -2.21%, and the average quarterly price growth was +14.52%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Savings Banks industry was -0.02%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -7.19%, and the average quarterly price growth was +2.44%.
Reported Earning Dates
GATX is expected to report earnings on Oct 27, 2026.
NNI is expected to report earnings on Aug 06, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Finance/Rental/Leasing (-3.57% weekly)A leasing company (e.g. United Rentals, Inc. ) is typically the legal owner of the asset for the duration of the lease, while the lessee has operating control over the asset while also having some share of the economic risks and returns from the change in the valuation of the underlying asset. Per capita disposable income and corporate earnings or cash flow could be some of the critical metrics for this business – the higher the values of these metrics, the potentially greater ability of consumers/businesses to afford apartments/office spaces for rent. Other finance companies include credit/debit card payment processing companies (e.g. Visa Inc. and Mastercard), private label credit cards providers (e.g. Synchrony Financial) and automobile finance companies (e.g. Credit Acceptance Corporation).
@Savings Banks (-0.02% weekly)A savings bank primary function is to take deposits and paying interest on those deposits. Originating in Europe during the 18th century, these banks were generally introduced to incentivize people of all stripes to save money and park them with banks. By the 1990s, the internet ushered in online savings banks that allowed savers to deposit/transact with banks digitally, without requiring to visit a branch office. Savings banks have potentially encouraged lower-income population to save and have access to a financial institution to earn interest on their money. New York Community Bancorp, Inc, Webster Financial Corporation, Washington Federal, Inc. are examples of savings banks.
| GATX | NNI | GATX / NNI | |
| Capitalization | 6.35B | 4.88B | 130% |
| EBITDA | 1.38B | N/A | - |
| Gain YTD | 6.247 | 2.706 | 231% |
| P/E Ratio | 17.71 | 11.81 | 150% |
| Revenue | 2.05B | 1.37B | 149% |
| Total Cash | 747M | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 12.5B | 7.7B | 162% |
GATX | NNI | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 16 | 81 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 14 Undervalued | 66 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 13 | 12 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 62 | 44 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 51 | 52 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 48 | 95 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 65 | 43 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
GATX's Valuation (14) in the Finance Or Rental Or Leasing industry is somewhat better than the same rating for NNI (66). This means that GATX’s stock grew somewhat faster than NNI’s over the last 12 months.
NNI's Profit vs Risk Rating (12) in the Finance Or Rental Or Leasing industry is in the same range as GATX (13). This means that NNI’s stock grew similarly to GATX’s over the last 12 months.
NNI's SMR Rating (44) in the Finance Or Rental Or Leasing industry is in the same range as GATX (62). This means that NNI’s stock grew similarly to GATX’s over the last 12 months.
GATX's Price Growth Rating (51) in the Finance Or Rental Or Leasing industry is in the same range as NNI (52). This means that GATX’s stock grew similarly to NNI’s over the last 12 months.
GATX's P/E Growth Rating (48) in the Finance Or Rental Or Leasing industry is somewhat better than the same rating for NNI (95). This means that GATX’s stock grew somewhat faster than NNI’s over the last 12 months.
| GATX | NNI | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 42% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 67% | 3 days ago 60% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 63% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 52% | 3 days ago 57% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 61% | 3 days ago 55% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 10 days ago 61% | 5 days ago 55% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 14 days ago 56% | 11 days ago 43% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | N/A | 3 days ago 55% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 59% | 3 days ago 50% |
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GATX and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, GATX has been loosely correlated with ENVA. These tickers have moved in lockstep 61% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if GATX jumps, then ENVA could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To GATX | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GATX | 100% | -1.56% | ||
| ENVA - GATX | 61% Loosely correlated | +0.31% | ||
| AXP - GATX | 57% Loosely correlated | -0.38% | ||
| BFH - GATX | 54% Loosely correlated | -2.31% | ||
| AGM - GATX | 53% Loosely correlated | +3.31% | ||
| COF - GATX | 53% Loosely correlated | -0.54% | ||
More | ||||
NNI and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, NNI has been loosely correlated with AER. These tickers have moved in lockstep 52% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if NNI jumps, then AER could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To NNI | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NNI | 100% | +0.13% | ||
| AER - NNI | 52% Loosely correlated | -1.29% | ||
| GATX - NNI | 51% Loosely correlated | -1.56% | ||
| OBDC - NNI | 49% Loosely correlated | -0.37% | ||
| WLFC - NNI | 49% Loosely correlated | -1.64% | ||
| URI - NNI | 49% Loosely correlated | +0.99% | ||
More | ||||