Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Upwork Inc. $UPWK

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Upwork Inc. (NASDAQ:UPWK) by 2.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,989,217 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 322,455 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 0.11% of Upwork worth $297,086,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UPWK. Accredited Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Upwork by 5,280.0% during the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,320 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Upwork by 998.4% during the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,278 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Upwork by 594.4% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,165 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Upwork by 2,405.7% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,684 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Upwork by 379.2% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,840 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,456 shares during the last quarter. 77.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Dave Bottoms sold 17,013 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.80, for a total transaction of $234,779.40. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 15,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $220,717.20. This represents a 51.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Erica Gessert sold 26,292 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.80, for a total value of $362,829.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 298,386 shares in the company, valued at $4,117,726.80. The trade was a 8.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 235,186 shares of company stock valued at $3,156,199 in the last ninety days. 7.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

More Upwork News

Here are the key news stories impacting Upwork this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raised EPS/adjusted‑EBITDA targets — Upwork updated FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $1.50–$1.55 (above consensus) and raised adjusted EBITDA guidance for the year, signalling management sees margin or profitability upside despite revenue pressure. Upwork Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 EPS guide above Street — Management guided Q2 EPS to $0.350–$0.370, higher than the consensus EPS estimate, which may reassure investors focused on per‑share profitability. Upwork Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue growth was modest — Q1 revenue ran about $195.5M, roughly flat/only modestly higher (+~1.4% YoY), so the business is still growing but not accelerating. Upwork Inc. Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Client monetization indicators mixed — GSV per active client improved (management pointed to AI and SMB initiatives), which could support longer‑term revenue per client if sustained. Upwork Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Top‑line and EPS misses / mixed reported metrics — Some outlets report Q1 EPS and revenue missed consensus (examples: EPS reported as $0.24 vs. estimates ~ $0.25–$0.28 and revenue below ~$199–204M consensus), creating headline risk and selling pressure. Upwork (UPWK) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Weaker revenue guidance — Management set Q2 and FY revenue ranges that are well below Street estimates (Q2 guide ~$187–193M; FY guide $760–790M vs much higher consensus), which is the primary driver cited for the after‑hours selloff. Upwork Stock Plunges On Q1 Earnings, Softer Revenue Outlook, Restructuring Plan
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability and cash‑flow deterioration in the quarter — Operating profit and net income declined YoY and cash from operations dropped materially, increasing near‑term execution risk. Upwork Inc. Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Restructuring and insider selling headlines — Benzinga and Quiver highlighted a restructuring plan and extensive insider sales in recent months, which can amplify negative investor sentiment. Upwork Stock Plunges On Q1 Earnings, Softer Revenue Outlook, Restructuring Plan Upwork Inc. Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on UPWK. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Upwork in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Upwork from $24.00 to $20.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $10.00 target price on Upwork in a research note on Friday. Roth Mkm increased their target price on Upwork from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, UBS Group downgraded Upwork from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $10.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Friday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $20.10.

Upwork Price Performance

NASDAQ UPWK opened at $10.61 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $11.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $16.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.63 and a beta of 1.07. Upwork Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.02 and a 1-year high of $22.84.

Upwork declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Wednesday, February 18th that authorizes the company to repurchase $300.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 18% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Upwork Company Profile

Upwork Inc operates a leading online talent marketplace that connects businesses with independent professionals worldwide. Through its digital platform, the company enables clients across industries—including technology, marketing, creative services and customer support—to source, hire and manage freelance talent on demand. Key features of the Upwork platform include streamlined job posting, proposal evaluation, time-tracking tools, invoicing and secure payment processing, all designed to simplify collaboration between clients and remote workers.

The company traces its roots to the merger of two pioneering freelance marketplaces, Elance (founded in 1998) and oDesk (founded in 2003), which combined in 2015 to form a unified entity.