Optimist Retirement Group LLC Acquires 916 Shares of Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPBD)

Optimist Retirement Group LLC increased its holdings in Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPBD) by 12.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,991 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 916 shares during the quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC’s holdings in Upbound Group were worth $233,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UPBD. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in Upbound Group by 26.1% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 11,090 shares of the company’s stock worth $340,000 after purchasing an additional 2,298 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in Upbound Group by 5.3% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 26,123 shares of the company’s stock worth $802,000 after buying an additional 1,317 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in Upbound Group in the second quarter worth about $257,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Upbound Group in the third quarter worth about $142,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC boosted its position in Upbound Group by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 12,980 shares of the company’s stock valued at $415,000 after acquiring an additional 1,466 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.30% of the company’s stock.

Upbound Group Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:UPBD opened at $29.52 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $31.26. Upbound Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $26.50 and a 12-month high of $38.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.36 and a beta of 2.05.

Upbound Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 18th were given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.28%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 18th. This is a positive change from Upbound Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Upbound Group’s payout ratio is currently 107.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Jeffrey J. Brown purchased 1,146 shares of Upbound Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $29.01 per share, with a total value of $33,245.46. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on UPBD. TD Cowen upgraded Upbound Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 29th. Loop Capital lowered their price objective on Upbound Group from $36.00 to $33.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Stephens started coverage on shares of Upbound Group in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $38.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $39.17.

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.