National Research (NASDAQ:NRC) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

National Research (NASDAQ:NRC) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.03, FiscalAI reports. National Research had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 164.26%. The business had revenue of $38.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.80 million.

Here are the key takeaways from National Research’s conference call:

• Revenue grew 11% to $38 million in Q3, accelerating from 4% growth in the first half, with less than half of the increase coming from the large customer implementation.
• Total recurring contract value rose 9% to $154 million, supported by strong retention, multi-year renewals, and contributions from Experience, Market Insights, and the Governance Institute.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin improved sequentially to 28% despite the HUB conference shifting into Q3, while management expects another margin improvement in Q4 as implementation costs are absorbed and seasonal revenue benefits emerge.
• Free cash flow reached $7 million, and the company returned capital through a $0.16 per-share dividend and repurchased approximately 790,000 shares under its $60 million authorization.
• NRC Health is searching for a new CFO following the departure of Shane Harrison, although management said the finance team is operating smoothly during the transition.

National Research Trading Up 7.9%

Shares of NRC opened at $23.47 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $533.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 93.88 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.13, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.65. National Research has a fifty-two week low of $11.73 and a fifty-two week high of $23.83. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $21.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $19.17.

National Research Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 29th will be issued a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 29th. National Research’s payout ratio is presently 256.00%.

Trending Headlines about National Research

Here are the key news stories impacting National Research this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings and revenue exceeded expectations: NRC reported third-quarter 2026 earnings of $0.21 per share, above the $0.18 consensus estimate, while revenue of $38.4 million surpassed expectations of $35.8 million. The results support the view that demand and operating performance remain stronger than anticipated. National Research third-quarter earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst raises price target: Citizens JMP increased its price target from $26 to $27 and maintained a “market outperform” rating, implying roughly 15% upside from the referenced share price. The upgrade reflects increased confidence in NRC’s outlook. Citizens JMP National Research rating
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: NRC announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per share, or $0.64 annualized, representing a yield of approximately 2.8%. The dividend is payable January 8, 2027, to shareholders of record as of December 29, 2026. NRC Health quarterly dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Margin improvement expected: Management expects further sequential margin improvement in the fourth quarter, while its Rounding initiative is targeting a third-quarter 2027 go-live. These plans could support longer-term growth, but execution and timing remain important considerations. NRC margin outlook and Rounding initiative

Analyst Ratings Changes

NRC has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of National Research to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Citizens Jmp lifted their price objective on shares of National Research from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of National Research from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised National Research from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.00.

About National Research

National Research Corporation, formerly traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol NRC, provides research, analytics and performance-improvement services to the health care industry. Through its NRC Health business, the company helps hospitals, health systems and other care organizations understand and improve patient, consumer and employee experiences.

Its offerings have included patient and employee surveys, market research, reputation management, loyalty and engagement programs, benchmarking, and software tools that turn feedback and other data into operational insights.