Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST) Price Target Cut to $40.00 by Analysts at BTIG Research

Key Points

• BTIG Research lowered Upstart’s price target to $40 from $43 while maintaining a “Buy” rating, implying nearly 86% upside from the reported closing price. Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and average target of $42.
• Upstart reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $0.33 per share and revenue of approximately $370.5 million, exceeding estimates and representing 33.7% year-over-year revenue growth.
• The stock traded near $21.51, close to its 52-week low, as investors weighed strong operating results against reduced guidance, margin concerns, macroeconomic risks and continued share-price volatility.

Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by investment analysts at BTIG Research from $43.00 to $40.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. BTIG Research's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 85.96% from the stock's previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Upstart from $39.00 to $28.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on shares of Upstart from $42.00 to $30.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup restated a "market underperform" rating on shares of Upstart in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Upstart from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Upstart from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Seven 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $42.00.

Upstart Stock Up 0.9%

UPST stock traded up $0.20 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $21.51. The company had a trading volume of 6,210,453 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,661,383. The firm has a market cap of $2.09 billion, a PE ratio of 43.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 2.43. Upstart has a 1-year low of $20.60 and a 1-year high of $52.10. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $25.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.89.

Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $370.52 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $362.68 million. Upstart had a return on equity of 7.13% and a net margin of 4.84%. The company's revenue was up 33.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.23 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Upstart will post 0.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Upstart

In related news, CEO Paul Gu acquired 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $25.55 per share, with a total value of $1,277,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 130,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,321,500. This represents a 62.50% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrea Blankmeyer sold 7,175 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.36, for a total transaction of $210,658.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 155,208 shares in the company, valued at $4,556,906.88. The trade was a 4.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 148,652 shares of company stock worth $4,133,720. 17.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Upstart

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UPST. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Upstart by 33.2% during the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 1,790 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 446 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Upstart by 26.7% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,905 shares of the company's stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming raised its stake in Upstart by 10.8% in the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 6,901 shares of the company's stock valued at $177,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Upstart by 76.7% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,656 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Upstart by 25.7% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,307 shares of the company's stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 881 shares in the last quarter. 63.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Upstart

Here are the key news stories impacting Upstart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Upstart reported adjusted earnings of $0.33 per share and revenue of approximately $370.5 million, beating estimates of $0.20 and $362.7 million, respectively. Revenue increased 33.7% year over year, supporting the stock’s initial post-earnings advance. Upstart third-quarter earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s results also exceeded expectations on key operating metrics, and management raised its outlook for revenue from fees. This suggests continued demand for Upstart’s AI-driven lending platform despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. Upstart beats expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Needham lowered its Upstart price target from $42 to $30 but retained a “Buy” rating. The new target still implies substantial potential upside, while signaling a more cautious valuation outlook. Needham analyst rating
• Negative Sentiment: Management reduced its EBITDA outlook and some reports indicated lower 2026 revenue guidance, highlighting margin and macroeconomic risks. Investors may also remain concerned about the company’s still-volatile performance and efforts to secure a banking charter. Upstart mixed third-quarter results

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.

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