Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.300-0.320 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.350. The company issued revenue guidance of $169.0 million-$177.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $174.7 million. Upwork also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.450-1.470 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $8.00 price objective on shares of Upwork in a research note on Tuesday. BTIG Research reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Upwork in a research note on Tuesday. Scotiabank raised their target price on Upwork from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on Upwork from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on Upwork from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.45.

Upwork Stock Performance

UPWK stock traded up $0.57 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $10.29. 2,819,248 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,541,182. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $8.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.65. The company has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a PE ratio of 13.38 and a beta of 1.06. Upwork has a one year low of $7.44 and a one year high of $22.84.

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $185.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $180.22 million. Upwork had a return on equity of 16.70% and a net margin of 12.94%.

Insider Activity at Upwork

In other Upwork news, CFO Erica Gessert sold 22,844 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.43, for a total transaction of $192,574.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 364,789 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,075,171.27. This trade represents a 5.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, COO Anthony Kappus sold 45,732 shares of Upwork stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.45, for a total transaction of $386,435.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 76,342 shares in the company, valued at approximately $645,089.90. The trade was a 37.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last three months, insiders sold 178,868 shares of company stock worth $1,509,462. 4.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Upwork

Here are the key news stories impacting Upwork this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results exceeded expectations. Upwork reported adjusted EPS of $0.40 versus the $0.31 consensus estimate and revenue of $185.6 million versus expectations of $180.2 million. The results helped drive the recent post-earnings rebound. Upwork Q3 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: New products and enterprise expansion could support growth. Upwork launched the public beta of Upwork Now, designed to help clients hire experts within minutes, while its Lifted business acquired WorkMotion to expand employer-of-record capabilities. Business Plus revenue also reportedly grew 120% year over year in Q3. Upwork Now announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year profitability guidance improved relative to expectations. Upwork forecasts FY 2026 EPS of $1.45-$1.47, above the $1.40 consensus estimate, while revenue guidance of $742 million-$750 million is broadly in line with expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: AI remains a strategic focus. Management is embedding Upwork’s freelance marketplace into leading AI tools and developing services for clients and talent as AI changes how work is sourced and completed. The initiatives may create longer-term opportunities, but their financial impact remains uncertain. Upwork AI strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter guidance was weaker than expected. The company projects EPS of $0.30-$0.32 versus the $0.35 consensus and revenue of $169 million-$177 million versus $174.7 million expected, raising concerns about near-term growth and demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts remain cautious about valuation and long-term relevance. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed its “sector perform” rating but set an $8.00 target, below the recent trading level. A Seeking Alpha analysis also maintained a “Sell” view, citing revenue contraction and secular competitive headwinds. Royal Bank of Canada rating

About Upwork

Upwork Inc operates a global work marketplace that connects businesses with independent professionals and agencies. Clients use the platform to find, evaluate, hire and manage talent for projects across areas such as software development, design, marketing, writing, consulting, customer support and administrative services.

The company provides tools for talent discovery, project collaboration, communications, time tracking, contract management and payments. Its offerings serve both individual clients and larger organizations, with features designed to support recurring engagements, contingent-work programs and enterprise talent management.

Upwork was formed in 2015 through the merger of Elance and oDesk, two online freelance-work platforms, and began trading publicly on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2018.