Upwork Inc. (NASDAQ:UPWK) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Upwork Inc. (NASDAQ:UPWK) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $23.9091.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on UPWK shares. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $22.00 target price (up from $19.00) on shares of Upwork in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Upwork from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $25.00 price objective on shares of Upwork in a research note on Tuesday. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Upwork in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Upwork from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th.

More Upwork News

Here are the key news stories impacting Upwork this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record full‑year results and strong profitability — Upwork reported record 2025 revenue of $787.8M and robust adjusted EBITDA (29% margin for the year; Q4 adjusted EBITDA $52.9M), which supports longer‑term cash generation and operating leverage. GlobeNewswire: Upwork Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance modestly above consensus — management gave full‑year EPS guidance of $1.43–$1.48 (vs. ~$1.41 consensus) and revenue guidance $835–$850M (vs. ~$832.5M consensus), which suggests the company expects continued annual growth. Yahoo Finance: Q4 highlights & guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 top‑line roughly in line but mixed metric reporting — Q4 revenue was $198.4M (+3.6% YoY), essentially in‑line with estimates, while gross profit and operating profit improved. Some outlets emphasize an adjusted/operating beat, others highlight weaker GAAP metrics — creating mixed readthroughs. Quiver Quantitative: Q4 results summary
• Negative Sentiment: Disappointing Q1 guidance — management lowered near‑term expectations, issuing Q1 EPS guidance of $0.26–$0.28 and revenue $192–$197M versus consensus of ~$0.36 EPS and ~$201M revenue; this guidance shortfall is the primary catalyst for the selloff. MSN: Upwork stock plummets after hours — here’s why
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP EPS miss / headline confusion — some reports show GAAP diluted EPS of $0.12 (well below certain consensus/adjusted figures), contributing to investor confusion and negative sentiment when headlines contrast adjusted vs. GAAP metrics. Zacks: Upwork misses Q4 earnings estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and post‑close weakness — reports of concentrated insider share sales in recent months and a sharp after‑hours drop (~20%+ in some headlines) amplified selling pressure following the release. Quiver Quantitative: insider activity and stock reaction

Insider Activity at Upwork

In other Upwork news, CFO Erica Gessert sold 18,493 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.70, for a total transaction of $308,833.10. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 237,612 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,968,120.40. This trade represents a 7.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Dave Bottoms sold 11,285 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.59, for a total transaction of $232,358.15. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,967 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $205,220.53. The trade was a 53.10% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 523,248 shares of company stock worth $10,029,741. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Upwork

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. purchased a new position in Upwork in the second quarter worth approximately $5,118,000. Ruffer LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Upwork in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,716,000. Aviance Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Upwork during the second quarter worth about $619,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC lifted its holdings in Upwork by 80.6% during the 2nd quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 251,263 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,377,000 after buying an additional 112,133 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grandeur Peak Global Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Upwork by 27.1% in the second quarter. Grandeur Peak Global Advisors LLC now owns 463,926 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,235,000 after acquiring an additional 98,811 shares in the last quarter. 77.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Upwork Stock Performance

NASDAQ:UPWK opened at $18.79 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $20.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $17.72. Upwork has a fifty-two week low of $11.13 and a fifty-two week high of $22.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.45 billion, a PE ratio of 10.74 and a beta of 1.06.

About Upwork

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.