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

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 1.050-1.150 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS 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 Up 3.4%

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

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

Upbound Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 17th were issued 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 107.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Activity at Upbound Group

In other Upbound Group news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown bought 2,502 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $17.68 per share, for a total transaction of $44,235.36. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Upbound Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Upbound Group by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,410,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,220,000 after purchasing an additional 246,146 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake 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 buying an additional 59,798 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake 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 buying an additional 91,245 shares in the last quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Upbound Group by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc now owns 1,105,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,405,000 after buying an additional 119,158 shares during the period. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 168,113 shares in the last quarter. 90.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.