Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) Releases Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.050-1.150 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.970. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.2 billion-$1.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.2 billion.

Upbound Group Stock Performance

Shares of UPBD opened at $20.88 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 3.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. Upbound Group has a 52-week low of $15.82 and a 52-week high of $30.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $18.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.89. The company has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a PE ratio of 14.40 and a beta of 1.88.

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.04. Upbound Group had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 36.08%. The company had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. Upbound Group has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.050-1.150 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Upbound Group will post 4.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Upbound Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 17th. Upbound Group’s payout ratio is presently 107.59%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on UPBD shares. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Upbound Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. BTIG Research lowered their price target on shares of Upbound Group from $40.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Zacks Research downgraded Upbound Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $32.25.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Upbound Group

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPBD. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Upbound Group by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,410,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,220,000 after buying an additional 246,146 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Upbound Group by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,315,672 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,103,000 after acquiring an additional 59,798 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Upbound Group by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,235,539 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,696,000 after acquiring an additional 91,245 shares during the period. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of Upbound Group by 12.1% in the fourth quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc now owns 1,105,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,405,000 after acquiring an additional 119,158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its holdings in Upbound Group by 27.3% in the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 783,997 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,678,000 after purchasing an additional 168,113 shares during the period. 90.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Upbound Group Company Profile

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.