Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Upbound Group (NASDAQ:UPBD) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on UPBD. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Upbound Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Upbound Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, BTIG Research decreased their price target on Upbound Group from $40.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Upbound Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $32.25.

Upbound Group Trading Up 2.4%

NASDAQ:UPBD opened at $20.31 on Thursday. Upbound Group has a 1 year low of $15.82 and a 1 year high of $30.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 3.16. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $18.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.01 and a beta of 1.88.

Insider Buying and Selling at Upbound Group

In related news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown acquired 2,502 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $17.68 per share, for a total transaction of $44,235.36. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 92,972 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,643,744.96. This trade represents a 2.77% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Upbound Group

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of UPBD. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its holdings in shares of Upbound Group by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 53,807 shares of the company’s stock worth $945,000 after acquiring an additional 2,372 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC raised its stake in Upbound Group by 20.3% in the 4th quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 133,069 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,337,000 after purchasing an additional 22,449 shares during the last quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc raised its stake in Upbound Group by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc now owns 1,105,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,405,000 after purchasing an additional 119,158 shares during the last quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Upbound Group by 40.9% in the 4th quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 19,203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $337,000 after purchasing an additional 5,577 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Upbound Group by 20.1% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 124,928 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,194,000 after purchasing an additional 20,918 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.