Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK – Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.450-1.470 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.400. The company issued revenue guidance of $742.0 million-$750.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $742.1 million. Upwork also updated its Q4 2026 guidance to 0.300-0.320 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UPWK has been the subject of several research reports. BTIG Research restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Upwork in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Upwork from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Upwork from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $11.50 target price on shares of Upwork in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Upwork from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.55.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on UPWK

Upwork Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of NASDAQ UPWK opened at $9.93 on Wednesday. Upwork has a 12 month low of $7.44 and a 12 month high of $22.84. The company has a market cap of $1.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.26 and a beta of 1.03. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $8.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.60.

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $185.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $180.22 million. Upwork had a return on equity of 17.28% and a net margin of 13.53%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Upwork

In other news, CEO Hayden Brown sold 23,893 shares of Upwork stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.45, for a total value of $201,895.85. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 793,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,705,860.85. This trade represents a 2.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Erica Gessert sold 9,336 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.45, for a total transaction of $78,889.20. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 373,586 shares in the company, valued at $3,156,801.70. This represents a 2.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 178,868 shares of company stock valued at $1,509,462. 4.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Upwork News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Upwork this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Upwork reported Q3 adjusted earnings of $0.40 per share, above the $0.31 consensus, and revenue of $185.6 million, exceeding the $180.22 million estimate. The company also raised its 2026 EPS outlook to $1.45–$1.47, above the $1.40 consensus. Upwork’s Q3 Non-GAAP Earnings Rise, Revenue Falls; 2026 Guidance Increased
  • Positive Sentiment: Growth initiatives could strengthen Upwork’s longer-term prospects: Business Plus revenue rose 120% year over year, Lifted acquired employer-of-record provider WorkMotion, and Upwork launched the public beta of Upwork Now, a faster way for clients to hire freelancers. Upwork: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors Upwork Introduces Upwork Now
  • Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views were mixed: UBS raised its price target from $9 to $10 but kept a neutral rating, while RBC reaffirmed Sector Perform with an $8 target. Unusually high call-option volume may reflect increased speculative interest but does not establish a clear outlook.
  • Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $0.30–$0.32 came in below the $0.35 consensus; revenue guidance of $169–$177 million straddles the $174.7 million estimate. Although Q3 revenue beat expectations, coverage also highlighted ongoing revenue contraction and longer-term competitive or secular risks. Upwork: Short-Term Survival Doesn’t Mean Long-Term Relevance

About Upwork

(Get Free Report)

Upwork Inc operates a global work marketplace that connects businesses with independent professionals and agencies. Clients use the platform to find, evaluate, hire and manage talent for projects across areas such as software development, design, marketing, writing, consulting, customer support and administrative services.

The company provides tools for talent discovery, project collaboration, communications, time tracking, contract management and payments. Its offerings serve both individual clients and larger organizations, with features designed to support recurring engagements, contingent-work programs and enterprise talent management.

Upwork was formed in 2015 through the merger of Elance and oDesk, two online freelance-work platforms, and began trading publicly on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2018.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Upwork Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Upwork and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.