LendingClub (NYSE:LC) Raised to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

LendingClub (NYSE:LC) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded LendingClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, February 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of LendingClub in a report on Monday, December 29th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $26.00 price objective on shares of LendingClub in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $23.00 price objective on shares of LendingClub in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $22.50 target price (up from $21.00) on shares of LendingClub in a research report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $23.07.

LendingClub Price Performance

NYSE LC traded up $0.36 on Tuesday, hitting $16.91. 725,460 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,293,460. The firm has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.35 and a beta of 1.95. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $15.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.20. LendingClub has a fifty-two week low of $9.54 and a fifty-two week high of $21.67.

LendingClub (NYSE:LC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The credit services provider reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.06. LendingClub had a return on equity of 12.06% and a net margin of 16.99%.The business had revenue of $252.25 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $250.96 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.10 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.9% compared to the same quarter last year. LendingClub has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.800 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.400-0.450 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that LendingClub will post 1.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Erin Selleck sold 2,390 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.46, for a total value of $36,949.40. Following the sale, the director directly owned 78,767 shares in the company, valued at $1,217,737.82. The trade was a 2.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingClub

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of LendingClub in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of LendingClub during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in LendingClub in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Quarry LP lifted its stake in LendingClub by 343.0% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,030 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 2,346 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in LendingClub during the 2nd quarter valued at $53,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.08% of the company’s stock.

About LendingClub

LendingClub Corporation operates an online lending marketplace that connects borrowers seeking personal and small business credit with individual and institutional investors. The platform leverages technology to streamline the loan application and underwriting process, offering unsecured personal loans, auto refinancing, and small business loans. In addition to lending products, LendingClub provides high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its banking charter, following its acquisition of Radius Bank in 2021.

Founded in 2006 by Renaud Laplanche, LendingClub pioneered peer-to-peer lending in the United States, helping to democratize access to credit and investment opportunities.