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1. Company Snapshot

1.a. Company Description

Upstart Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates a cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) lending platform in the United States.Its platform aggregates consumer demand for loans and connects it to its network of the company's AI-enabled bank partners.The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California.

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1.b. Last Insights on UPST

Breaking News: Upstart Holdings Inc has secured a $1B forward-flow deal to steady funding and scale loan originations. The company aims to reduce volatility and boost platform growth. Its AI lending models have processed record loan volume. Upstart trades at $25.83, with a median analyst target of $50. Both Upstart and Affirm stocks are trading down about 36% year to date. Analysts consider Upstart undervalued. A recent note by an analyst does not provide a clear recommendation. Another recent note consider it as one of 3 growth stocks trading below what wall street thinks they are worth.

1.c. Company Highlights

2. Upstart's Strong Q4 Earnings: A Deeper Dive

Upstart's Q4 financial performance was impressive, with total revenue reaching $296 million, up 35% year-over-year and 7% sequentially. Revenue from fees was approximately $265 million, up 33% year-over-year, driven by strong product market fit in new products. The company's net income was around $19 million, ahead of expectations, reflecting outperformance on the top line and continued discipline across the cost structure. Adjusted EBITDA was roughly $64 million, in line with expectations. The actual EPS came out at $0.46, slightly lower than estimates at $0.47.

Publication Date: Feb -12

📋 Highlights
  • Leadership Transition:: Dave Girouard steps down as CEO, succeeded by Paul Gu, with Sanjay Datta as CFO and Grant as CTO.
  • Revenue Growth:: Total revenue reached $1.04B in 2025 (+64% YoY) and $296M in Q4 (+35% YoY), driven by 52% YoY loan origination growth.
  • Margin Expansion:: Adjusted EBITDA margin improved to 22% in 2025, with guidance for 21% in 2026 and 25% by 2028 via operating leverage and AI efficiency.
  • Product Diversification:: 70% of Q4 auto/home loan funding from 11 partners, with 3 new product categories graduating from R&D and quadrupling volume YoY.
  • Balance Sheet Strategy:: Reduced loans on balance sheet by 20% in Q4 and aims to maintain disciplined exposure while scaling secured partnerships.

Revenue Growth and Margin Analysis

The company's revenue growth was driven by a 52% year-over-year increase in total loan origination dollars in Q4, with strong performance in new products. The average return of the last 12 quarterly vintages of loans exceeded that of U.S. treasuries by 608 basis points. The contribution margin came in at 53% in Q4, down 4 percentage points from the prior quarter, primarily due to the increased weighting of lifetime value in pricing calculations.

Valuation Metrics and Future Prospects

Analysts estimate next year's revenue growth at 20.9%. To understand what's priced in, we can look at valuation metrics. The current P/S Ratio is 3.08, and the EV/EBITDA is 35.11. The ROE is 7.29%, and the ROIC is 5.24%. These metrics suggest that the market has high expectations for Upstart's future growth. As Paul Gu mentioned, "We're building a bigger business by offering more value to customers and gaining a larger share of the market." This strategy is expected to drive future growth.

Guidance and Outlook

For 2026, Upstart is anticipating total revenues of approximately $1.4 billion, revenue from fees of approximately $1.3 billion, and an adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 21%. The company aims to maintain a relatively steady growth clip over the coming several years, paired with improving margins and operating leverage. With a target compound annual growth rate of 35% from 2025 to 2028, Upstart is poised for continued success.

3. NewsRoom

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INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Upstart Holdings, Inc. - UPST

Mar -19

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Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note

Mar -18

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Better Fintech Stock: Upstart vs. Affirm

Mar -18

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Upstart's $1B Deal: Can Forward Flow Boost Loan Growth Now?

Mar -18

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Got $3,000? 3 Growth Stocks Trading Below What Wall Street Thinks They're Worth.

Mar -18

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INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Upstart Holdings, Inc. - UPST

Mar -17

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Upstart Stock Gains On BTIG Upgrade, $1B Forward-Flow Deal

Mar -17

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Upstart Announces a $1B Forward-Flow Agreement with Eltura Ventures and Aperture Investors

Mar -17

4. Business Breakdown

4.a. Revenues by Country

4.b. Revenues by Segment

5. Expected revenues mid-term growth (25.05%)

6. Segments

Fees

Expected Growth: 25.0%

Upstart Holdings, Inc.'s growth is driven by its innovative lending model, which leverages AI to assess creditworthiness, offering competitive interest rates and origination fees. This approach attracts a large customer base, fueling growth in the personal loan market.

Interest Income, Interest Expense, and Fair Value Adjustments

Expected Growth: 25.6%

Upstart Holdings' growth is driven by increasing demand for AI-powered lending, expansion into new markets, and strategic partnerships. The company's interest income from lending activities and fair value adjustments on investments contribute to its revenue growth.

7. Detailed Products

Personal Loans

Upstart offers personal loans ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 with fixed interest rates and repayment terms of 3 or 5 years.

Credit Cards

Upstart offers credit cards with no annual fee, cashback rewards, and credit-building benefits.

Auto Loans

Upstart provides auto loans for new and used vehicles, with competitive rates and flexible repayment terms.

Small Business Loans

Upstart offers small business loans with flexible repayment terms and competitive interest rates.

8. Upstart Holdings, Inc.'s Porter Forces

Forces Ranking

Threat Of Substitutes

Upstart Holdings, Inc. operates in the fintech industry, which is characterized by a moderate threat of substitutes. While there are alternative lending platforms, Upstart's AI-powered lending model and focus on prime borrowers differentiate it from competitors.

Bargaining Power Of Customers

Upstart's customers are primarily individual borrowers, who have limited bargaining power. The company's platform is designed to provide personalized loan offers, making it difficult for customers to negotiate prices.

Bargaining Power Of Suppliers

Upstart's suppliers are primarily banks and investors that provide capital for lending. The company's platform is designed to attract multiple suppliers, reducing their bargaining power.

Threat Of New Entrants

The fintech industry is characterized by a moderate threat of new entrants. While there are barriers to entry, such as regulatory compliance and capital requirements, new entrants can still disrupt the market.

Intensity Of Rivalry

The fintech industry is highly competitive, with multiple players competing for market share. Upstart faces intense rivalry from established players and new entrants, which can lead to pricing pressure and increased marketing expenses.

9. SWOT Analysis

10. Capital Structure

10.a. Balance Sheet

10.b. Weighted Average Cost of capital

Value
Debt Weight 65.32%
Debt Cost 3.95%
Equity Weight 34.68%
Equity Cost 13.95%
WACC 7.41%
Leverage 188.38%

11. Quality Control: Upstart Holdings, Inc. passed 2 out of 9 key points

12.a Historical Valuation

12.b Price/Earnings Ratio

12.c Margin Valuation

12.d Peers Valuation

Peers Group Analysis

Stock-Card
Oportun Financial

A-Score: 5.0/10

Value: 9.5

Growth: 3.3

Quality: 6.2

Yield: 0.0

Momentum: 8.5

Volatility: 2.3

1-Year Total Return ->

Stock-Card
PRA Group

A-Score: 4.5/10

Value: 9.3

Growth: 2.7

Quality: 8.0

Yield: 0.0

Momentum: 3.5

Volatility: 3.7

1-Year Total Return ->

Stock-Card
Green Dot

A-Score: 4.4/10

Value: 9.6

Growth: 2.9

Quality: 4.8

Yield: 0.0

Momentum: 7.0

Volatility: 2.3

1-Year Total Return ->

Stock-Card
Consumer Portfolio Services

A-Score: 4.0/10

Value: 7.3

Growth: 5.0

Quality: 5.0

Yield: 0.0

Momentum: 3.0

Volatility: 3.7

1-Year Total Return ->

Stock-Card
Open Lending

A-Score: 2.1/10

Value: 6.7

Growth: 0.7

Quality: 2.8

Yield: 0.0

Momentum: 0.5

Volatility: 2.0

1-Year Total Return ->

Stock-Card
Upstart

A-Score: 2.1/10

Value: 2.6

Growth: 2.4

Quality: 4.4

Yield: 0.0

Momentum: 2.0

Volatility: 1.0

1-Year Total Return ->

Peers Metrics

12.e Scoring Insights

12.f DCF BETA

Parameters

Short Term Growth

Short term Time

Long-Term Growth

WACC

Target Price

25.98$

Current Price

25.98$

Potential

-0.00%

Expected Cash-Flows