Upstart’s (UPST) Buy Rating Reiterated at B. Riley Financial

Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by analysts at B. Riley Financial in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $42.00 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $54.00. B. Riley Financial‘s price target would suggest a potential upside of 85.46% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler increased their price target on Upstart from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on Upstart from $42.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen raised Upstart from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Loop Capital started coverage on Upstart in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $34.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Upstart in a research report on Wednesday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $37.94.

Upstart Trading Up 6.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:UPST traded up $1.28 on Wednesday, reaching $22.65. 1,870,220 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,661,780. The company has a fifty day moving average of $24.98 and a 200-day moving average of $29.76. Upstart has a twelve month low of $20.59 and a twelve month high of $52.10. The company has a market capitalization of $2.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.78, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 2.48.

Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.13. Upstart had a net margin of 4.84% and a return on equity of 7.13%. The company had revenue of $370.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $362.68 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.23 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 33.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Upstart will post 0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Natalia Mirgorodskaya sold 913 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.03, for a total transaction of $27,417.39. Following the sale, the insider owned 35,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,077,326.25. This trade represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Andrea Blankmeyer sold 7,175 shares of Upstart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.36, for a total transaction of $210,658.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 155,208 shares in the company, valued at $4,556,906.88. This trade represents a 4.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 148,652 shares of company stock valued at $4,133,720 over the last quarter. 17.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Upstart

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UPST. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Upstart by 267.1% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,022,780 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,234,000 after buying an additional 744,190 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Upstart in the second quarter valued at about $9,681,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Upstart by 17.2% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 373,455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,579,000 after acquiring an additional 54,908 shares during the last quarter. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC raised its stake in Upstart by 38.1% during the first quarter. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC now owns 344,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,840,000 after acquiring an additional 95,172 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in Upstart during the second quarter worth about $8,461,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.01% of the company’s stock.

Key Upstart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Upstart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 revenue was about $370.5 million, up 33.7% year over year and ahead of estimates. Adjusted earnings per share were also reported above consensus in the company’s results coverage. Earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Upstart achieved record contribution profit in Q3, and its secured-loan business turned profitable—signs of improved operating performance despite a challenging environment. Three key takeaways from Upstart’s report
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG and Needham lowered their price targets to $40 and $30, respectively, but both maintained Buy ratings. The cuts signal more cautious expectations, while the ratings remain supportive. BTIG analyst ratings
• Negative Sentiment: Management’s outlook was cautious: coverage cited lower full-year guidance, including reduced EBITDA expectations and concerns about macro headwinds and balance-sheet pressure. This tempered the impact of the quarterly beat and contributed to volatile trading around the report. Q3 results and 2026 outlook

Upstart Company Profile

Upstart Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: UPST) operates an artificial intelligence-powered lending marketplace. Its platform connects consumers seeking credit with banks and credit unions, using data-driven underwriting models designed to evaluate applicants beyond traditional credit-score-based methods.

The company provides technology for several lending categories, including personal loans, automotive retail and refinance lending, home equity lines of credit, and small-dollar lending. Upstart’s platform supports financial institutions with application processing, risk assessment, loan origination, and related automation, while offering consumers a digital borrowing experience.

Founded in 2012, Upstart is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and primarily serves the United States.