Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) Lowered to “Hold” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. BTIG Research reduced their target price on Upbound Group from $40.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised Upbound Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Upbound Group from $31.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Upbound Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.25.

Upbound Group Stock Performance

Shares of UPBD opened at $20.15 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $18.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.76. The stock has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.90 and a beta of 1.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a current ratio of 3.16 and a quick ratio of 0.98. Upbound Group has a one year low of $15.82 and a one year high of $30.62.

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.02. Upbound Group had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 36.08%. The business had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. Upbound Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.050-4.150 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Upbound Group will post 4.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown bought 2,502 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $17.68 per share, for a total transaction of $44,235.36. Following the purchase, the director owned 92,972 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,643,744.96. This represents a 2.77% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Upbound Group in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Quarry LP boosted its stake in Upbound Group by 913.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,251 shares during the period. Security National Bank acquired a new stake in Upbound Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $57,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Upbound Group by 414.1% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,617 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 2,108 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Upbound Group during the second quarter worth approximately $95,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.30% of the company’s stock.

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.