FICO vs TRU: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of September 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: TRU is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. FICO and TRU share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined FICO and TRU exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Fair Isaac Corporation, known by its ticker FICO, is best known for the FICO Score, the credit score most U.S. lenders use to gauge consumer credit risk. The business splits into two segments: Scores, which licenses the FICO Score to lenders and the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) at extraordinarily high margins (the Scores segment operating margin has run around 91%), and Software, which sells the FICO Platform and analytic decisioning tools to banks, insurers, and other enterprises on a recurring-revenue model. Scores is the profit engine, while Software is the growth-and-stickiness story as customers migrate onto the platform.

Full FICO guide

TransUnion is a global information and insights company best known as one of the three dominant U.S. consumer credit bureaus, alongside Equifax and Experian. It aggregates and analyzes credit, identity, and marketing data on more than a billion consumers across 30-plus countries, then sells reports, scores, analytics, fraud-and-identity tools, and consumer-facing subscription products. Revenue is organized around two segments: U.S. Markets (Financial Services, plus Emerging Verticals like insurance, healthcare, tenant and employment screening, and public sector) and International (fast-growing operations in India, the UK, Canada, Latin America, and Africa).

Full TRU guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• FICO drivers: Scores pricing power; Software platform shift.
• TRU drivers: U.S. Financial Services reacceleration; International expansion.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The biggest 2026 risk is competitive and regulatory: FHFA and the GSEs now allow VantageScore 4.0 (a joint venture of the three credit bureaus) alongside FICO for mortgages, threatening FICO's long-held mortgage-scoring monopoly and inviting pricing pressure. For TRU, transUnion's results are directly exposed to the credit cycle: recessions, rising unemployment, or tighter lending cut demand for credit reports and marketing services.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick FICO if you believe its drivers more; TRU if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the FICO and TRU guides.

FICO. FICO grew fiscal 2026 revenue and EPS more than 20% and 30% respectively, powered by Scores price increases and a mortgage-origination rebound. Despite that growth the shares fell sharply during 2026 (down roughly a third or more from their peak) as competition and pricing changes compressed the multiple from a trailing P/E near 40x toward a forward P/E around 24x, still a premium to the broader software group.

TRU. TransUnion returned to double-digit revenue growth in Q1 2026 (up ~14%), beating estimates and prompting a raised full-year outlook. Reported net income was boosted by a one-time gain from consolidating its Mexico operation, so adjusted per-share earnings (around $1.18 in the quarter) give a cleaner view. Valuation multiples vary widely between trailing and forward measures because of past charges, and the sizable debt load makes leverage and free-cash-flow trends central to the story.

Headline figures (approximate, July 2026): FICO shows revenue (ttm) ~$2.25B, fy2026 revenue guidance ~$2.45B (up ~23% YoY), q2 fy2026 revenue ~$692M, q2 fy2026 gaap eps ~$11.14; TRU shows revenue (ttm) ~$4.7B, fy2025 revenue ~$4.58B (up ~9%), 2026 revenue guidance ~$5.1B-$5.14B, adjusted ebitda margin ~35%.

FICO and TRU are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined FICO and TRU exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.