Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday. The company provided EPS guidance of 1.430-1.480 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 1.410. The company issued revenue guidance of $835.0 million-$850.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $832.5 million. Upwork also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.260-0.280 EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Upwork in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $22.00 price objective (up previously from $19.00) on shares of Upwork in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Upwork from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of Upwork in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Upwork from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $23.91.

Upwork Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:UPWK traded down $0.14 during trading on Monday, reaching $18.79. The company had a trading volume of 7,551,082 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,718,621. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $20.31 and its 200 day moving average is $17.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.46 billion, a PE ratio of 10.74 and a beta of 1.06. Upwork has a twelve month low of $11.13 and a twelve month high of $22.84.

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $198.41 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $197.52 million. Upwork had a return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 31.63%.Upwork has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.430-1.480 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.260-0.280 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Upwork will post 0.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Erica Gessert sold 9,044 shares of Upwork stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.59, for a total value of $186,215.96. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 246,701 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,079,573.59. This trade represents a 3.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Hayden Brown sold 23,147 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.59, for a total value of $476,596.73. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 721,158 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,848,643.22. The trade was a 3.11% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 523,248 shares of company stock valued at $10,029,741. 7.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Upwork

Here are the key news stories impacting Upwork this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance modestly above consensus on the year — Upwork set FY‑2026 EPS at $1.430–$1.480 versus the Street at ~$1.410, and revenue guidance of $835–$850M versus a consensus near $832.5M. This reduces concern about full‑year growth trajectory.
• Positive Sentiment: Record full‑year results — Upwork reported record 2025 revenue of $787.8M and record adjusted EBITDA of $225.6M (29% margin), showing strong profitability and cash generation for the year. Upwork Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 revenue roughly in line with expectations but mixed metrics — Q4 revenue was $198.4M (near consensus), gross profit and operating profit improved, and operating cash flow rose, but there are divergent EPS reports across outlets. View Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Q1‑2026 guidance below Street expectations — management guided Q1 EPS to $0.260–$0.280 (consensus ~ $0.360) and revenue to $192–$197M (consensus ~ $201M). The weaker near‑term guide is the primary negative catalyst putting pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Reported Q4 EPS missed some estimates and triggered an after‑hours selloff — several outlets reported GAAP/adjusted EPS of ~$0.12 (below analyst estimates of ~$0.23–$0.32), and one report noted a post‑close drop of ~20% after the release; the missed EPS figure and subsequent market reaction amplified downside. Upwork (UPWK) Misses Q4 Earnings Estimates Upwork Inc. (UPWK) Stock Falls on Q4 2025 Earnings

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Upwork

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Upwork by 26.0% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 179,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,335,000 after purchasing an additional 37,010 shares in the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Upwork by 49.6% in the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 141,920 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,635,000 after acquiring an additional 47,028 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in Upwork by 96.8% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 76,356 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,418,000 after acquiring an additional 37,562 shares in the last quarter. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in Upwork during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,089,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Upwork by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 45,381 shares of the company’s stock valued at $843,000 after acquiring an additional 1,303 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.71% of the company’s stock.

About Upwork

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.