Upstart Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:UPST)

Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPST) was the target of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Traders purchased 49,733 put options on the company. This is an increase of 21% compared to the typical volume of 41,100 put options.

Upstart Trading Down 15.5%

UPST opened at $32.91 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $45.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $52.76. Upstart has a 1-year low of $31.40 and a 1-year high of $96.43. The stock has a market cap of $3.20 billion, a PE ratio of 78.35 and a beta of 2.38.

Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by ($0.30). The company had revenue of $296.09 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $288.54 million. Upstart had a return on equity of 6.49% and a net margin of 5.13%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 35.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.26 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Upstart will post -0.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Upstart

Here are the key news stories impacting Upstart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised 2026 revenue guidance above Street expectations, which initially pushed the stock higher as investors cheered better top-line visibility. Upstart shares soar 11% as 2026 revenue guidance tops estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Needham reaffirmed its “buy” rating and $56 price target, signaling confidence from some sell-side firms in Upside potential. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed — revenue grew strongly year-over-year and topped estimates, but adjusted EPS missed by a penny (reported around $0.46 vs. ~$0.47 consensus), creating ambiguity over profit trends. Upstart (UPST) Q4 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flows show elevated activity and conflicting positioning: heavy put buying ahead of earnings followed by a surge in call purchases the next day — a sign of heightened speculation and short-term hedging rather than clear directional conviction.
• Negative Sentiment: Management’s 2026 margin guidance disappointed investors, triggering downward pressure as the market parsed whether profitability will scale as revenue grows. Upstart Stock Slides as 2026 Margin Guidance Disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and reporters flagged concerns that guidance raised questions about Upstart’s ability to execute funding and margin improvement, amplifying sell-side caution and intraday volatility. Upstart tumbles after guidance raises fears over funding execution
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction included a sharp gap lower after the earnings/guide release and at least one firm (Truist) trimmed its price target, reflecting reduced near-term confidence despite retaining a “buy” stance. Upstart Stock Gaps Lower After Earnings Whiff UPST: Price target lowered at Truist

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UPST has been the subject of several research reports. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Upstart from $80.00 to $56.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Upstart from $88.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Upstart from $81.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. BTIG Research restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Upstart in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Stephens lowered their target price on Upstart from $55.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $54.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at Upstart

In other news, Director Kerry Whorton Cooper sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $75,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 23,934 shares in the company, valued at $1,196,700. This represents a 5.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Sanjay Datta sold 13,624 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.58, for a total transaction of $498,365.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 284,280 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,398,962.40. This represents a 4.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 16,707 shares of company stock valued at $633,080. 16.67% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Upstart

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Upstart in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Upstart during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Quarry LP lifted its holdings in shares of Upstart by 749.2% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 501 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 442 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Upstart in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Upstart by 132.2% in the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 771 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 63.01% of the company’s stock.

Upstart Company Profile

Upstart Holdings, Inc operates a cloud-based lending marketplace that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to assess borrower creditworthiness. The company partners with banks and credit unions, providing its proprietary AI models and underwriting platform to facilitate consumer credit products. By focusing on non‐traditional data points—such as education, employment history and other real‐time indicators—Upstart seeks to improve approval rates and lower loss rates compared with conventional credit scoring methods.

Upstart’s core offering centers on unsecured personal loans, which borrowers can use for purposes such as debt consolidation, home improvements or major purchases.