UPBD
TechnologyUpbound Group, Inc. · Software - Application · $1B
What is Upbound Group, Inc.?
Upbound Group operates an omni-channel lease-to-own platform serving customers across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Its brands — Rent-A-Center and Acima — connect consumers with household goods through both physical stores and virtual channels.
Upbound Group generates revenue by leasing household durable goods to customers on a lease-to-own basis. Its Rent-A-Center segment operates company-owned retail stores, while Acima embeds virtual lease-to-own options inside third-party retailers via kiosks and digital integrations. The company also runs a franchising segment and a smaller Mexico operation. Customers who may not qualify for traditional financing can access furniture, appliances, electronics, and more through flexible payment structures.
Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Plano, Texas, the company rebranded from Rent-A-Center, Inc. to Upbound Group, Inc. in February 2023.
- Lease-to-own furniture, mattresses, and appliances
- Consumer electronics and smartphones via flexible lease terms
- Acima virtual lease-to-own platform for retail partners
- Franchised Rent-A-Center store network
- Installment sales through Get It Now and Home Choice brands
Is UPBD a Good Stock to Buy?
UQS Score rates UPBD as Below Average overall, reflecting meaningful headwinds across several key quality dimensions.
The most notable bright spot in UPBD's profile is its Valuation pillar, rated Attractive — suggesting the market may already be pricing in many of the company's challenges. The Quality pillar lands at Neutral, indicating the business generates some operational consistency even within a difficult environment.
The Moat, Growth, and Risk pillars all carry Weak ratings, pointing to limited competitive differentiation, constrained expansion prospects, and elevated financial or operational risk factors relative to peers.
See the exact pillar breakdown and full financial metrics by signing up for a UQS Pro account. Sign up free →
Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.
Does UPBD pay dividends?
Yes — Upbound Group, Inc. pays a dividend.
Upbound Group pays a regular dividend, which may appeal to income-focused investors. Given the company's lease-to-own business model, cash generation from recurring lease payments supports this distribution. However, investors should weigh the dividend against the Weak Risk pillar rating, which signals that sustaining the payout could face pressure if business conditions deteriorate.
When does UPBD report earnings?
Upbound Group reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, consistent with standard practice for US-listed equities.
The company's recent results reflect the pressures visible in its UQS pillar profile — particularly subdued growth and elevated risk. Revenue trends across its core segments have faced headwinds from consumer credit conditions and competitive dynamics in the lease-to-own space.
For the most recent quarter's results and guidance updates, visit Upbound Group's investor relations page directly.
UPBD Price History
-58.2% over 5Y
Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.
What if I invested in Upbound Group, Inc.?
Based on Upbound Group, Inc.'s historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
UPBD Long-term Outlook
UPBD's fundamental outlook is shaped by Weak Growth and Weak Risk pillar ratings, suggesting the near-term trajectory faces meaningful obstacles. The Acima virtual platform represents a potential avenue for expanding the company's retailer footprint, but execution risk remains elevated. The Attractive Valuation rating indicates the stock may reflect a discounted view of future cash flows, though a re-rating would likely require demonstrated improvement in growth or risk metrics.
Growth drivers
- Expansion of Acima's virtual lease-to-own integrations with retail partners
- Potential recovery in consumer demand for lease-to-own financing alternatives
- Franchising segment providing capital-light revenue diversification
Key risks
- Weak competitive moat in a fragmented lease-to-own market
- Consumer credit deterioration pressuring lease portfolio performance
- Elevated financial risk limiting strategic flexibility and dividend sustainability
UPBD vs Peers
Upbound Group operates in a distinct consumer-finance niche, but the following companies share listing characteristics or platform-based business models relevant to comparative analysis.
Yalla operates a Middle Eastern social and entertainment platform, contrasting sharply with UPBD's lease-to-own consumer finance model in North America.
Progress Software focuses on enterprise application development infrastructure, representing a technology-platform approach versus UPBD's consumer-facing lease model.
Lightspeed provides point-of-sale and commerce software for retailers and restaurants, operating in a SaaS model rather than the asset-based lease-to-own structure UPBD employs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Upbound Group do?
Upbound Group runs an omni-channel lease-to-own platform under the Rent-A-Center and Acima brands. Customers can lease furniture, appliances, electronics, and other household goods through physical stores or virtual channels embedded within third-party retailers. The company serves customers in the US, Puerto Rico, and Mexico who may not qualify for traditional financing.
Does UPBD pay dividends?
Yes, Upbound Group pays a regular dividend. The company's lease-to-own model generates recurring cash flows that support this distribution. Investors should note that the Weak Risk pillar rating in the UQS framework signals that dividend sustainability warrants monitoring, particularly in challenging consumer credit environments.
When does UPBD report earnings?
Upbound Group follows a standard quarterly earnings cadence for US-listed companies. For exact dates and the most recent results, check the investor relations section of the company's official website, as our data source does not carry forward-looking earnings dates.
Is UPBD a good stock to buy?
UQS Score rates UPBD as Below Average, driven by Weak ratings across the Moat, Growth, and Risk pillars. The Valuation pillar is Attractive, which may interest contrarian investors. Whether that discount compensates for the underlying quality concerns depends on individual risk tolerance. View the full pillar breakdown with a UQS Pro account.
Is UPBD overvalued?
Based on the UQS Valuation pillar, UPBD is rated Attractive — meaning the stock appears to trade at a discount relative to its assessed fundamentals. This does not guarantee upside, particularly given the Weak Growth and Risk ratings, but it does suggest the market has already priced in significant challenges.
How does UPBD compare to its competitors?
Upbound Group occupies a specialized niche in consumer lease-to-own financing, which differs meaningfully from software or platform peers. Its UQS profile — particularly the Weak Moat rating — suggests limited structural advantages relative to potential competitors in the broader consumer finance and fintech space.
What is UPBD's market cap bracket?
Upbound Group is classified as a small-cap company. This places it in a segment of the market that can offer valuation opportunities but also carries higher volatility and liquidity risk compared to large- or mega-cap peers.
Who founded Upbound Group?
The business traces its roots to 1960 under earlier ownership structures, with the corporate entity as currently constituted founded in 1995. The company operated as Rent-A-Center, Inc. for decades before rebranding to Upbound Group, Inc. in February 2023. Founding history is widely documented in public filings.
Is UPBD a long-term quality investment?
As a long-term quality indicator, UPBD's Below Average UQS Score reflects concerns across multiple pillars — particularly Moat, Growth, and Risk. Long-term quality investing typically favors companies with durable competitive advantages and consistent growth, areas where UPBD currently shows weakness. The Attractive Valuation may partially offset these concerns for patient investors.
What is the main competitive advantage of Upbound Group?
Upbound Group's primary advantage lies in its established brand recognition through Rent-A-Center and its Acima virtual platform, which embeds lease-to-own options directly within retail partner locations. However, the UQS Moat pillar rates this advantage as Weak, indicating the company faces meaningful competitive pressure in its core markets.
What sector does UPBD belong to?
Upbound Group is classified under the Technology sector in the UQS framework, reflecting its omni-channel platform and virtual lease-to-own technology through Acima. Its core business, however, is deeply rooted in consumer finance and retail, serving customers seeking flexible alternatives to traditional credit.
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Pro Analysis
UPBD — Score History
| Date | UQS | Quality | Moat | Growth | Risk | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2026 | 42.9 | 43.2 | 27.0 | 28.2 | 31.3 | 100.0 | +1.5 |
| May 4, 2026 | 41.4 | 41.5 | 27.0 | 28.2 | 24.2 | 100.0 | -0.2 |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 41.6 | 41.5 | 27.0 | 29.0 | 24.2 | 100.0 | — |
UPBD — Pillar Breakdown
Quality
— 43.2/100 (25%)Upbound Group, Inc. has average quality metrics, with room for improvement in margins or capital efficiency.
How effectively capital is deployed to generate returns.
Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.
Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.
Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.
Asset productivity — how much gross profit each dollar of assets generates.
Free cash flow relative to market value.
Growth
— 28.2/100 (20%)Upbound Group, Inc. faces growth headwinds with declining or stagnant revenue trends.
Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.
Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.
Year-over-year earnings per share growth.
Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.
Analyst consensus for future earnings growth.
Risk
— 31.3/100 (15%)Upbound Group, Inc. presents elevated risk with concerns around leverage or financial stability.
Debt levels relative to earnings capacity.
Total debt relative to shareholder equity.
Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.
Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.
Valuation
— 100.0/100 (15%)Upbound Group, Inc. appears attractively valued relative to its earnings, cash flows, and sector peers.
Inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper stock.
How many years of FCF the market cap represents.
P/E relative to earnings growth — lower is more attractive.
Enterprise value multiple relative to sector median.
Moat
— 27/100 (25%)Upbound Group, Inc. operates in a highly competitive environment with limited sustainable advantages. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for UPBD.
Score Composition
Financial Data
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How is the UPBD UQS Score Calculated?
The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Upbound Group, Inc. is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.
Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.
Moat (25%) assesses Upbound Group, Inc.'s competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.
Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.
Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.
Valuation (15%) measures whether Upbound Group, Inc. is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.
Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.