Upstart Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:UPST)

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Nov 4th, 2026

Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPST – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Investors bought 44,446 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 156% compared to the typical daily volume of 17,356 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at Upstart

In other Upstart news, insider Sanjay Datta sold 116,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.29, for a total transaction of $3,165,640.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 476,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,005,813.62. The trade was a 19.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Andrea Blankmeyer sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.33, for a total value of $87,990.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 152,208 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,464,260.64. This represents a 1.93% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 148,652 shares of company stock valued at $4,133,720. 17.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Upstart by 253.3% during the 1st quarter. Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. now owns 1,467,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,638,000 after acquiring an additional 1,052,039 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Upstart by 267.1% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,022,780 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,234,000 after purchasing an additional 744,190 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Upstart during the second quarter valued at approximately $9,681,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Upstart during the second quarter valued at approximately $8,461,000. Finally, Maxi Investments CY Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Upstart during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,852,000. 63.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UPST. Loop Capital began coverage on Upstart in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $34.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Upstart from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Upstart from $39.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market underperform” rating on shares of Upstart in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, BTIG Research decreased their price target on Upstart from $43.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $42.00.

View Our Latest Report on Upstart

Upstart Price Performance

Shares of UPST opened at $21.37 on Wednesday. Upstart has a 1-year low of $20.59 and a 1-year high of $52.10. The company has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 2.48. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $24.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $29.76.

Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $370.52 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $362.68 million. Upstart had a net margin of 4.84% and a return on equity of 7.13%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 33.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.23 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Upstart will post 0.72 earnings per share for the current year.

More Upstart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Upstart this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q3 revenue was about $370.5 million, up roughly 34% year over year and ahead of estimates. Upstart also reported record contribution profit, and its secured-loan business turned profitable—signs of improved operating performance. 3 Key Takeaways From Upstart’s Latest Report
Neutral Sentiment: Analysts BTIG and Needham lowered their price targets, to $40 and $30, respectively, but kept Buy ratings. The target cuts suggest more cautious expectations, while the continued Buy ratings indicate analysts still see potential upside. BTIG Research rating information Needham rating information
Negative Sentiment: Investors are weighing the strong quarter against a weaker outlook. Reports cite macro headwinds and balance-sheet pressure, with EBITDA guidance reduced; coverage also described the full-year outlook as lowered, although Upstart raised its forecast for fee revenue. This uncertainty may limit enthusiasm about the results. Q3 2026 Earnings Call Highlights Upstart Beats Expectations in a Challenging Macro Environment

Upstart Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Upstart Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: UPST) operates an artificial intelligence-powered lending marketplace. Its platform connects consumers seeking credit with banks and credit unions, using data-driven underwriting models designed to evaluate applicants beyond traditional credit-score-based methods.

The company provides technology for several lending categories, including personal loans, automotive retail and refinance lending, home equity lines of credit, and small-dollar lending. Upstart’s platform supports financial institutions with application processing, risk assessment, loan origination, and related automation, while offering consumers a digital borrowing experience.

Founded in 2012, Upstart is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and primarily serves the United States.