Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Upbound Group Call Options (NASDAQ:UPBD)

Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPBD) saw some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock investors acquired 2,884 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 964% compared to the typical volume of 271 call options.

Upbound Group Trading Up 6.6%

Shares of NASDAQ UPBD traded up $1.35 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $21.67. 253,987 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 853,419. Upbound Group has a 12-month low of $15.82 and a 12-month high of $28.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 3.06. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $18.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $19.05. The firm has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.05 and a beta of 1.79.

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.02. Upbound Group had a net margin of 1.78% and a return on equity of 35.56%. The business had revenue of $1.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.00 earnings per share. Upbound Group’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Upbound Group has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.000-1.100 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.000-4.350 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Upbound Group will post 4.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Upbound Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.2%. Upbound Group’s payout ratio is currently 109.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Upbound Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on Upbound Group from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $31.00.

Insider Transactions at Upbound Group

In related news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown acquired 2,329 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $19.41 per share, for a total transaction of $45,205.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 94,840 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,840,844.40. This trade represents a 2.52% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Upbound Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Upbound Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Quarry LP grew its holdings in Upbound Group by 913.1% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,251 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in Upbound Group by 238.3% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,448 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 18.2% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 518 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its holdings in shares of Upbound Group by 18.7% during the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 3,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.30% of the company’s stock.

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. It offers furniture comprising mattresses, tires, consumer electronics, appliances, tools, handbags, computers, smartphones, and accessories.