LATAM Airlines Stock Rises 22.7% Following Upgrade to Zacks Rank #2
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 05 2026
0mins
Should l Buy LC?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Stock Performance: LATAM Airlines Group shares have surged 22.7% since being upgraded to Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on October 23, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 2.2% increase, indicating strong market confidence in its growth prospects.
- Rating Impact: LendingClub Corporation was also upgraded to Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) on October 23, resulting in a 15.7% return, reflecting investor recognition of its financial health and growth potential.
- Portfolio Performance: A hypothetical portfolio of Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks returned +14.3% in 2025, slightly below the S&P 500's +14.9%, demonstrating the strategy's stability amid market fluctuations.
- Long-Term Returns: Since 1988, the Zacks Model Portfolio has achieved an annualized average return of +23.9%, significantly higher than the S&P 500's +11.5%, showcasing its effectiveness and reliability in long-term investing.
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Analyst Views on LC
Wall Street analysts forecast LC stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for LC is 23.00 USD with a low forecast of 20.00 USD and a high forecast of 26.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
9 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 15.690
Low
20.00
Averages
23.00
High
26.00
Current: 15.690
Low
20.00
Averages
23.00
High
26.00
About LC
LendingClub Corporation is a bank holding company. The Company operates its business, through its subsidiary, LendingClub Bank, National Association (LC Bank). LC Bank is the digital marketplace bank in the United States where members can access a range of financial products and services designed to help them pay less when borrowing and earn more when saving. It offers a suite of deposit and loan products through a smart, simple and rewarding digital experience. LC Bank retains loans and funds those loans directly with its own capital and deposits. LC Bank’s primary loan products include unsecured personal loans, secured auto refinance loans, and patient and education finance loans. LC Bank’s commercial lending business is primarily focused on small businesses, and it participates in the United States small business administration lending programs. LC Bank’s deposit business includes sourcing deposits directly from customers and from third-party marketing channels and deposit brokers.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Beat but Stock Drop: LendingClub reported Q4 revenue of $266.5 million, a 22.7% increase, and EPS surged 338% to $0.35, surpassing expectations; however, the stock fell nearly 16%, indicating market caution regarding future earnings forecasts.
- Future Growth Outlook: Management projects flat loan originations at $2.6 billion for Q1 2026, while full-year guidance of $11.6 to $12.6 billion suggests a 26% growth potential, yet investor expectations for short-term profit growth were not fully met.
- Accounting Method Transition Impact: LendingClub will adopt a new fair value accounting method starting in 2026, expected to enhance earnings performance; while initial costs may rise, the long-term benefits could attract more investor interest and improve profitability.
- Increased Marketing Investment: The company plans to ramp up marketing investments in 2025 to support future growth; although initial efficiency may be lower, the development and optimization of new channels are expected to yield higher profit growth in 2027 and beyond, further solidifying its market position.
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- Strong Performance: LendingClub reported Q4 2025 diluted EPS of $0.35 and total revenue of nearly $267 million, driven by approximately $2.6 billion in loan originations, all significantly higher year-over-year and exceeding market expectations.
- Optimistic Guidance: The company guided for $2.6 billion in loan originations and diluted EPS of $0.365 for Q1 2026, with full-year guidance of $12.1 billion in originations and EPS of $1.725, reflecting 48% and 26% year-over-year growth, indicating robust growth potential.
- Accounting Change Impact: LendingClub plans to mark all loans as held-for-sale (HFS), shifting from previously accounting for some loans as held-for-investment (HFI), which may lead investors to misinterpret future guidance, impacting stock performance.
- Cautious Market Reaction: Despite strong earnings, shares dropped nearly 13%, trading at about 10 times forward earnings, suggesting that the market needs time to digest the new accounting policy, presenting a potential entry point for investors.
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- Significant Performance Growth: LendingClub reported a 40% year-over-year increase in loan originations to $2.6 billion in Q4 2025, reflecting strong market demand and product innovation, which is expected to drive future revenue growth.
- New Product Launch: The company introduced a structured certificate product aimed at insurance capital and initiated a direct forward flow agreement with a top U.S. insurance company, further expanding its market share and product offerings.
- Increase in Net Interest Income: Net interest income rose 14% year-over-year to $163 million, with a net interest margin of 6%, indicating the company's strong profitability in the current interest rate environment.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: LendingClub expects Q1 2026 loan originations to range between $2.55 billion and $2.65 billion, representing a year-over-year growth of 28% to 33%, with plans to increase marketing investments to support ongoing growth.
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- Soft Earnings Guidance: LendingClub projects Q1 2026 GAAP EPS between $0.34 and $0.39, trailing the $0.30 average analyst estimate, leading to an 8.3% drop in after-hours trading, indicating market concerns over future profitability.
- Strong Q4 Performance: Q4 EPS of $0.35 exceeded Wall Street's $0.33 expectation but fell from $0.37 in the prior quarter, reflecting challenges in sustaining profit growth, while Q4 net revenue reached $266.5 million, slightly above the $262 million forecast.
- Stable Loan Originations: Q4 loan originations held steady at $2.6 billion, showing a 40% year-over-year increase, indicating robust market demand despite the pressure from the earnings guidance, which underscores the company's operational resilience.
- Positive Future Outlook: CEO Scott Sanborn emphasized entering 2026 from a position of strength, with plans to leverage product innovations and marketing investments to enhance earnings power, particularly through new opportunities in home improvement financing, reflecting confidence in future growth.
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- Earnings Announcement: LendingClub is set to release its Q4 earnings on January 28 after market close, with significant attention from investors regarding its performance and outlook.
- Earnings Expectations: The consensus EPS estimate stands at $0.35, while revenue is projected at $262.45 million, reflecting a 20.8% year-over-year growth, indicating the company's ongoing growth potential.
- Historical Performance: Over the past year, LendingClub has consistently beaten both EPS and revenue estimates 100% of the time, showcasing its strong competitive position and operational effectiveness in the market.
- Estimate Revision Trends: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen five upward revisions with no downward adjustments, while revenue estimates experienced four upward and five downward revisions, highlighting market divergence regarding the company's future performance.
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- Industry Gap Addressed: The partnership between Wonder, FormPiper, and LendingClub introduces a new financing platform that enables independent furniture retailers to access sophisticated financing tools at no additional cost, thereby enhancing customer approval rates and increasing average order values.
- Integration Advantage: The new platform offers a seamless integration with Wonder's existing retail systems, providing a full spectrum of financing options that resolve the limitations faced by small and medium-sized furniture stores in single-lender applications, significantly boosting sales opportunities.
- Fast Financing Experience: LendingClub, as the primary lending partner, leverages over $100 billion in originations to provide financing options with no impact on credit scores, with applications taking just minutes, greatly enhancing the customer experience.
- Platform Now Live: The integrated platform soft-launched in Q4 2025 and is now rolling out across Wonder's retail technology network, included in the standard subscription service at no additional cost, regardless of subscription tier.
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