Halter Ferguson Increases Stake in Upstart
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
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Should l Buy UPST?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Share Increase: Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. increased its stake in Upstart by 1,052,039 shares in Q1 2026, with an estimated trade value of $37.01 million, indicating a bullish outlook as its holdings now exceed 8% of the fund's AUM.
- Value Appreciation: Post-trade, Halter Ferguson's total Upstart holdings reached 1,467,360 shares valued at $37.64 million, reflecting a $19.48 million increase from the previous quarter, driven by both share purchases and stock price recovery.
- Strong Business Growth: Despite Upstart's stock price plummeting from a 2025 high of $87.30 to a low of $23.97, the company reported $1 billion in revenue for 2025, a 64% year-over-year increase, and forecasts further growth to $1.4 billion in 2026, showcasing its resilience and potential.
- Attractive Valuation: With a price-to-sales ratio of about three, Upstart's valuation is at a multi-year low, suggesting it may be a good time to invest in the stock, although analysts have not included it in their top investment picks, warranting cautious consideration of the timing.
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Analyst Views on UPST
Wall Street analysts forecast UPST stock price to rise
13 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
4 Hold
2 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 32.860
Low
20.00
Averages
56.73
High
80.00
Current: 32.860
Low
20.00
Averages
56.73
High
80.00
About UPST
Upstart Holdings, Inc. is an artificial intelligence (AI) lending marketplace. The Company’s platform includes personal loans, automotive retail and refinance loans, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), and small dollar loans. It applies artificial intelligence models and cloud applications to the process of underwriting consumer credit. Its AI marketplace connects consumers with its lending partner. Its consumers can access Upstart-powered loans via Upstart.com, through a lender-branded product on its lending partners’ own websites, and through auto dealerships that use its Upstart Auto Retail software. Its platform enables lenders provide a product their customers want, rather than letting customers seek loans from competitors. Its cloud-based software platform incorporates technologies and software development approaches to allow for development of new features, such as cloud-native technologies, data integrity and security, and configurable multi-tenant architecture, and others.
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.
- Stake Increase: Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. increased its stake in Upstart by 1,052,039 shares in Q1 2026, with an estimated transaction value of $37.01 million, indicating a bullish outlook on the stock.
- Asset Allocation Shift: This purchase raised Halter Ferguson's ownership in Upstart to 8.26%, reflecting confidence in the stock despite a 31.2% decline in Upstart's share price over the past year.
- Financial Performance: Upstart reported $1.02 billion in revenue for 2025, a 64% year-over-year increase, and forecasts $1.4 billion in revenue for 2026, showcasing strong business growth potential.
- Valuation Attractiveness: With a price-to-sales ratio of about three, Upstart's valuation is at a multi-year low, suggesting that now is an opportune time to invest in the stock, despite significant price fluctuations over the past year.
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- Share Increase: Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. increased its stake in Upstart by 1,052,039 shares in Q1 2026, with an estimated trade value of $37.01 million, indicating a bullish outlook as its holdings now exceed 8% of the fund's AUM.
- Value Appreciation: Post-trade, Halter Ferguson's total Upstart holdings reached 1,467,360 shares valued at $37.64 million, reflecting a $19.48 million increase from the previous quarter, driven by both share purchases and stock price recovery.
- Strong Business Growth: Despite Upstart's stock price plummeting from a 2025 high of $87.30 to a low of $23.97, the company reported $1 billion in revenue for 2025, a 64% year-over-year increase, and forecasts further growth to $1.4 billion in 2026, showcasing its resilience and potential.
- Attractive Valuation: With a price-to-sales ratio of about three, Upstart's valuation is at a multi-year low, suggesting it may be a good time to invest in the stock, although analysts have not included it in their top investment picks, warranting cautious consideration of the timing.
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- Stake Increase: Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. increased its stake in Upstart by 1,052,039 shares in Q1 2026, with an estimated transaction value of $37.01 million, indicating a bullish outlook despite significant stock price fluctuations.
- Ownership Proportion Rise: Following this purchase, Halter Ferguson's stake in Upstart rose to 8.26%, reflecting confidence in Upstart's future growth potential, even as the stock has declined by 31.2% over the past year.
- Financial Performance: Upstart reported $1 billion in revenue for 2025, a 64% year-over-year increase, and forecasts $1.4 billion in revenue for 2026, demonstrating robust business growth despite stock price pressures.
- Investment Timing: With Upstart's price-to-sales ratio at about three, a multi-year low, combined with Halter Ferguson's stake increase, it suggests that now may be an opportune time to invest in the stock, although analysts remain cautious about its outlook.
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- Class Action Notification: Rosen Law Firm reminds investors who purchased Upstart Holdings securities between May 14, 2025, and November 4, 2025, to apply as lead plaintiffs by June 8, 2026, to potentially receive compensation without any out-of-pocket costs.
- Lawsuit Background: The lawsuit alleges that Upstart made false and misleading statements during the Class Period, particularly regarding Model 22's overreaction to macroeconomic signals, which negatively impacted revenue forecasts and caused investor losses.
- Law Firm Credentials: Rosen Law Firm specializes in securities class actions and was ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services in 2017, consistently placing in the top four since 2013, demonstrating its strong track record and expertise in this field.
- Investor Guidance: Investors are advised to carefully select qualified counsel with a proven track record in class actions to ensure effective legal representation, avoiding firms that merely act as intermediaries.
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- Executive Accountability: Four senior executives of Upstart Holdings, including CEO Dave Girouard and CFO Sanjay Datta, are named in a securities class action, having sold over $13.5 million and $1.4 million in shares respectively during the class period, indicating potential concealment of the company's financial issues.
- Stock Price Plunge: Following the company's admission that its AI underwriting model was overreacting to macroeconomic signals, Upstart's shares fell by $4.49, or 9.71%, leading to significant investor losses and reflecting a crisis of trust in the company's transparency.
- Legal Liabilities: Under Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, the defendants are accused of allowing misleading statements to circulate despite knowing about the model's deficiencies, which could result in joint liability and exacerbate the company's legal risks.
- Revenue Outlook Downgrade: Upstart's Q2 2025 report revealed a $20 million reduction in its full-year revenue outlook due to model issues, highlighting that executive misconduct in financial disclosures could damage the company's reputation and complicate future financing efforts.
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- Technological Disruption: Upstart leverages artificial intelligence to assess borrowers' creditworthiness by considering over 2,500 variables, resulting in a 43% increase in approval rates without additional defaults, significantly enhancing competitiveness in the auto loan market.
- Loan Performance: Since its inception in 2012, Upstart has originated over 5 million loans totaling more than $50 billion, with 1.5 million loans worth $11 billion issued last year alone, indicating strong market demand and growth potential.
- Profitability Improvement: Upstart reported a net income of over $54 million last year, reversing a $128 million loss in 2024, marking a significant improvement in profitability and positioning the company for continued growth.
- Market Outlook: Despite facing economic headwinds, Upstart's stock is priced at less than 10 times its anticipated per-share profit, reflecting investor confidence in its future growth, especially as traditional credit bureaus struggle with technological challenges.
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