Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) Sets New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPBD)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $26.13 and last traded at $26.42, with a volume of 50997 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $26.60.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on UPBD. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on shares of Upbound Group from $33.00 to $30.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 21st. TD Cowen raised shares of Upbound Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 29th. Finally, Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Upbound Group in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Upbound Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $38.20.

Upbound Group Stock Down 2.9 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.08, a current ratio of 3.66 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $29.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.59. The firm has a market cap of $1.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.68 and a beta of 2.05.

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02. Upbound Group had a net margin of 2.86% and a return on equity of 35.47%. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. On average, equities research analysts expect that Upbound Group, Inc. will post 4.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Upbound Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 18th were issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 18th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.04%. This is a boost from Upbound Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Upbound Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.59%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Upbound Group news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown bought 1,146 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $29.01 per share, with a total value of $33,245.46. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 86,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,505,883.80. The trade was a 1.34 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Upbound Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Upbound Group in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 268.8% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 828 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 45.0% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,271 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 705 shares during the period. Quarry LP increased its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 374.3% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $105,000 after purchasing an additional 2,590 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,785 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the period. 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.