Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST) Stock: Insider Paul Gu Buys 50,000 Shares

Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPST) CEO Paul Gu purchased 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $20.57 per share, for a total transaction of $1,028,500.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 180,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,702,600. This trade represents a 38.46% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Paul Gu also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, September 10th, Paul Gu acquired 50,000 shares of Upstart stock. The shares were bought at an average price of $25.55 per share, with a total value of $1,277,500.00.

Upstart Trading Up 2.1%

NASDAQ:UPST traded up $0.41 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $19.56. 5,013,744 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,150,480. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $23.70 and its 200-day moving average is $28.76. The firm has a market cap of $1.93 billion, a PE ratio of 33.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 2.48. Upstart Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $18.91 and a twelve month high of $52.10.

Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $370.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $362.68 million. Upstart had a net margin of 4.86% and a return on equity of 9.67%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 33.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.23 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Upstart Holdings, Inc. will post 0.38 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UPST. Maxi Investments CY Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Upstart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,852,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Upstart in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,589,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its position in Upstart by 654.0% in the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 126,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,902,000 after purchasing an additional 109,502 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in Upstart during the second quarter worth $1,557,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in Upstart during the second quarter worth $3,385,000. 63.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on UPST shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Upstart from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. BTIG Research reduced their target price on Upstart from $43.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Upstart from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Stephens began coverage on Upstart in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $24.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Mizuho set a $35.00 price target on Upstart in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $32.40.

About Upstart

Upstart Holdings, Inc. operates an artificial intelligence–based lending marketplace that connects consumers seeking loans with banks and credit unions. Its platform uses machine-learning models and borrower data to help lending partners assess credit risk and make lending decisions. The company’s offerings include personal loans and technology for auto lending, including auto retail and refinancing. Upstart was founded in 2012 by Dave Girouard, Paul Gu and Anna Counselman. Girouard serves as the company’s chief executive officer.