Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 4.000-4.350 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 4.190. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.7 billion-$4.9 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.8 billion. Upbound Group also updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 0.850-0.950 EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on UPBD shares. Zacks Research lowered Upbound Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Upbound Group from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, BTIG Research lowered Upbound Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $28.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.67.

Upbound Group Price Performance

Shares of Upbound Group stock traded down $0.88 during trading on Friday, hitting $19.24. 2,839,840 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 881,257. The company has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 13.46 and a beta of 1.79. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $19.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.40. Upbound Group has a twelve month low of $15.82 and a twelve month high of $28.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 3.06 and a quick ratio of 0.88.

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.07. The firm had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.16 billion. Upbound Group had a net margin of 1.78% and a return on equity of 35.56%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.12 earnings per share. Upbound Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.000-4.350 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.850-0.950 EPS. Analysts forecast that Upbound Group will post 4.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Upbound Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.1%. Upbound Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 109.09%.

Insider Activity at Upbound Group

In related news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown bought 2,295 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $20.09 per share, for a total transaction of $46,106.55. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 96,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,942,321.29. This represents a 2.43% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Upbound Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Upbound Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Upbound raised its 2026 free-cash-flow outlook to approximately $250 million, highlighting stronger cash generation and disciplined portfolio management. Management also cited continued Brigit growth and digital expansion as potential long-term growth drivers. Upbound narrows 2026 revenue outlook and raises free cash flow
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue of $1.16 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.07 matched analyst expectations. The company’s return on equity remained strong at 35.56%, while the stock has been described by one analysis as potentially undervalued by about 29%, which could support investor interest if operating trends stabilize. Upbound Group could be undervalued after second-quarter earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Management emphasized portfolio discipline, cash generation and execution amid pressure on consumers. However, quarterly revenue increased only 0.5% year over year and EPS declined from $1.12 in the prior-year period, indicating limited near-term earnings momentum. UPBD second-quarter earnings call highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Upbound narrowed its 2026 revenue outlook to roughly $4.7 billion-$4.85 billion, reflecting a more cautious sales outlook. Third-quarter EPS guidance of $0.85-$0.95 is below the $1.00 consensus estimate, while full-year EPS guidance of $4.00-$4.35 brackets or falls below expectations. UPBD second-quarter earnings and lower fiscal-year outlook
• Negative Sentiment: The company disclosed approximately $13 million in fraud-related losses at Acima, adding an unexpected headwind to results and raising concerns about risk controls within the business. Consumer-financial pressure and elevated leverage may further limit the stock’s near-term upside.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,410,524 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,220,000 after purchasing an additional 246,146 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 59,798 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $21,696,000 after purchasing an additional 91,245 shares during the last quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Upbound Group by 12.1% during the 4th quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc now owns 1,105,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,405,000 after purchasing an additional 119,158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its position in 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 institutional investors and hedge funds.

Upbound Group Company Profile

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.