Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. BTIG Research decreased their target price on Upbound Group from $40.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research cut Upbound Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Upbound Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.25.

Upbound Group Stock Performance

Upbound Group stock opened at $20.88 on Friday. Upbound Group has a fifty-two week low of $15.82 and a fifty-two week high of $28.02. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $19.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a current ratio of 2.92 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The company has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.84 and a beta of 1.81.

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.04. Upbound Group had a net margin of 1.56% and a return on equity of 35.23%. The business had revenue of $1.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.05 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. Upbound Group has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.050-1.150 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.000-4.350 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Upbound Group will post 4.28 EPS for the current year.

Upbound Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th were given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 17th. Upbound Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 125.81%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown acquired 2,502 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of $17.68 per share, for a total transaction of $44,235.36. Following the acquisition, the director owned 92,972 shares in the company, valued at $1,643,744.96. This trade represents a 2.77% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Upbound Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Upbound Group by 238.3% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,448 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,020 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Upbound Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Quarry LP raised its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 913.1% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,251 shares in the last quarter. Security National Bank bought a new position in Upbound Group in the third quarter worth $57,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its position in Upbound Group by 18.7% in the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 3,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the period. 90.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Upbound Group

Upbound Group, Inc leases household durable goods to customers on a lease-to-own basis in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. It operates through four segments: Rent-A-Center, Acima, Mexico, and Franchising. The company's brands, such as Rent-A-Center and Acima that facilitate consumer transactions across a range of store-based and virtual channels. It offers furniture comprising mattresses, tires, consumer electronics, appliances, tools, handbags, computers, smartphones, and accessories.