Upland Software (NASDAQ:UPLD) versus CLEAR Secure (NYSE:YOU) Financial Review

CLEAR Secure (NYSE:YOU) and Upland Software (NASDAQ:UPLD) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, dividends, earnings and valuation.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

73.8% of CLEAR Secure shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 77.8% of Upland Software shares are owned by institutional investors. 39.7% of CLEAR Secure shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 14.8% of Upland Software shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares CLEAR Secure and Upland Software”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
CLEAR Secure	$770.49 million	5.66	$169.68 million	$1.64	19.96
Upland Software	$274.79 million	0.10	-$112.73 million	($1.75)	-0.54

CLEAR Secure has higher revenue and earnings than Upland Software. Upland Software is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than CLEAR Secure, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares CLEAR Secure and Upland Software’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
CLEAR Secure	20.97%	119.82%	17.06%
Upland Software	-18.43%	-80.37%	6.38%

Volatility and Risk

CLEAR Secure has a beta of 1.21, suggesting that its share price is 21% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Upland Software has a beta of 1.23, suggesting that its share price is 23% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for CLEAR Secure and Upland Software, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
CLEAR Secure	1	3	5	0	2.44
Upland Software	1	0	2	0	2.33

CLEAR Secure presently has a consensus target price of $40.86, suggesting a potential upside of 24.80%. Upland Software has a consensus target price of $4.00, suggesting a potential upside of 324.58%. Given Upland Software’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Upland Software is more favorable than CLEAR Secure.

Summary

CLEAR Secure beats Upland Software on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About CLEAR Secure

Clear Secure, Inc. operates a secure identity platform under the CLEAR brand name primarily in the United States. Its secure identity platform is a multi-layered infrastructure consisting of front-end, including enrollment, verification, and linking, as well as back-end. The company also offers CLEAR Plus, a consumer aviation subscription service, which enables access to predictable entry lanes in airport security checkpoints, as well as access to broader network; and CLEAR mobile app, which is used to enroll new members and improve the experience for existing members. In addition, it provides RESERVE powered by CLEAR, a virtual queuing technology that provides users with the ability to book a dedicated time slot to go through security at the airport; CLEAR Verified, a B2B offering that extends secure identity platform to partners to create friction-free experiences for their customers; TSA PreCheck Enrollment Provided by CLEAR, as well as online renewal services; Atlas Certified, an automated solution to verify professional licenses and certification data across industries; and Sora ID that enables adding know your customer services to platform offerings, as well as virtual queuing technology that enables customers to manage lines. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Clear Secure, Inc. is a subsidiary of Alclear Investments, Llc.

About Upland Software

Upland Software, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides cloud-based software applications under the Upland brand name in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. It offers software applications that enable organizations to plan, manage and execute projects, and work in the areas of marketing, sales, contact center, knowledge management, project management, information technology, business operations, human resources, and legal. The company also provides professional services, such as implementation, data extraction, integration and configuration, and training services, as well as customer support services. It serves corporations, government agencies, and small and medium-sized businesses in the financial, consulting, technology, manufacturing, media, telecommunication, insurance, non-profit healthcare, life sciences, retail, and hospitality sectors. The company was formerly known as Silverback Enterprise Group, Inc. and changed its name to Upland Software, Inc. in November 2013. Upland Software, Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.