Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) Rating Lowered to "Neutral" at Roth Mkm

Key Points

• Roth Mkm downgraded Upwork from "buy" to "neutral" and set a $10 price target
• Multiple analysts have trimmed forecasts—three rate Upwork a Buy and ten rate it Hold—giving an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.80.
• Company actions and results are mixed: Upwork authorized a $300 million buyback (up to ~18% of shares) while insiders have been selling and Q1 showed modest revenue, weaker revenue guidance and cash‑flow deterioration, which has weighed on the stock.

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Roth Mkm from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report released on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They presently have a $10.00 price target on the stock. Roth Mkm's target price suggests a potential upside of 27.96% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on Upwork from $25.00 to $15.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Zacks Research cut Upwork from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup downgraded Upwork from a "neutral" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Upwork from $24.00 to $20.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Upwork from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.80.

Upwork Price Performance

UPWK opened at $7.82 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $965.70 million, a P/E ratio of 8.92 and a beta of 1.07. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $11.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.02. Upwork has a one year low of $7.72 and a one year high of $22.84.

Upwork declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, February 18th that authorizes the company to repurchase $300.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 18% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Dave Bottoms sold 7,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.49, for a total transaction of $80,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,770.22. The trade was a 72.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Hayden Brown sold 23,745 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.31, for a total transaction of $292,300.95. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 798,732 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,832,390.92. The trade was a 2.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 235,186 shares of company stock valued at $3,156,199 over the last three months. Company insiders own 7.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Upwork

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Accredited Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Upwork by 5,280.0% in the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,345 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,320 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Upwork by 998.4% during the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,406 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 1,278 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Upwork by 594.4% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 1,165 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in Upwork by 2,405.7% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,754 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,684 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Upwork by 379.2% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,840 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 1,456 shares during the period. 77.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Upwork

Here are the key news stories impacting Upwork this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raised EPS/adjusted‑EBITDA targets — Upwork updated FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $1.50–$1.55 (above consensus) and raised adjusted EBITDA guidance for the year, signalling management sees margin or profitability upside despite revenue pressure. Upwork Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 EPS guide above Street — Management guided Q2 EPS to $0.350–$0.370, higher than the consensus EPS estimate, which may reassure investors focused on per‑share profitability. Upwork Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue growth was modest — Q1 revenue ran about $195.5M, roughly flat/only modestly higher (+~1.4% YoY), so the business is still growing but not accelerating. Upwork Inc. Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Client monetization indicators mixed — GSV per active client improved (management pointed to AI and SMB initiatives), which could support longer‑term revenue per client if sustained. Upwork Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Top‑line and EPS misses / mixed reported metrics — Some outlets report Q1 EPS and revenue missed consensus (examples: EPS reported as $0.24 vs. estimates ~ $0.25–$0.28 and revenue below ~$199–204M consensus), creating headline risk and selling pressure. Upwork (UPWK) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Weaker revenue guidance — Management set Q2 and FY revenue ranges that are well below Street estimates (Q2 guide ~$187–193M; FY guide $760–790M vs much higher consensus), which is the primary driver cited for the after‑hours selloff. Upwork Stock Plunges On Q1 Earnings, Softer Revenue Outlook, Restructuring Plan
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability and cash‑flow deterioration in the quarter — Operating profit and net income declined YoY and cash from operations dropped materially, increasing near‑term execution risk. Upwork Inc. Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Restructuring and insider selling headlines — Benzinga and Quiver highlighted a restructuring plan and extensive insider sales in recent months, which can amplify negative investor sentiment. Upwork Stock Plunges On Q1 Earnings, Softer Revenue Outlook, Restructuring Plan Upwork Inc. Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings

Upwork Company Profile

Upwork Inc operates a leading online talent marketplace that connects businesses with independent professionals worldwide. Through its digital platform, the company enables clients across industries—including technology, marketing, creative services and customer support—to source, hire and manage freelance talent on demand. Key features of the Upwork platform include streamlined job posting, proposal evaluation, time-tracking tools, invoicing and secure payment processing, all designed to simplify collaboration between clients and remote workers.

The company traces its roots to the merger of two pioneering freelance marketplaces, Elance (founded in 1998) and oDesk (founded in 2003), which combined in 2015 to form a unified entity.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.