Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPBD) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPBD - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $39.17.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on UPBD shares. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Upbound Group from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Stephens began coverage on shares of Upbound Group in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $38.00 target price on the stock. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Upbound Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, November 29th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price target on shares of Upbound Group from $36.00 to $33.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 1st.

Upbound Group Trading Up 2.5 %

Upbound Group stock traded up $0.74 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $30.15. 1,528,077 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 450,267. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $31.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.71. Upbound Group has a fifty-two week low of $26.50 and a fifty-two week high of $38.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.79 and a beta of 2.03.

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.06. Upbound Group had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 34.15%. The business had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.79 EPS. The business's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Upbound Group will post 3.8 EPS for the current year.

Upbound Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 18th. This is a positive change from Upbound Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.17%. Upbound Group's dividend payout ratio is 107.59%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown acquired 1,065 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $29.25 per share, with a total value of $31,151.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 85,234 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,493,094.50. The trade was a 1.27 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Upbound Group by 47.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,118 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 268.8% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,136 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 828 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Upbound Group in the second quarter valued at $42,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Upbound Group in the second quarter valued at $89,000. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its holdings in Upbound Group by 374.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,282 shares of the company's stock worth $105,000 after buying an additional 2,590 shares during the last quarter. 90.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Upbound Group

Upbound Group, Inc leases household durable goods to customers on a lease-to-own basis in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. It operates through four segments: Rent-A-Center, Acima, Mexico, and Franchising. The company's brands, such as Rent-A-Center and Acima that facilitate consumer transactions across a range of store-based and virtual channels.