Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.300-0.320 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.350. The company issued revenue guidance of $169.0 million-$177.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $174.7 million. Upwork also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.450-1.470 EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $11.50 target price on Upwork in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Upwork in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on Upwork from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on Upwork from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Upwork from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Upwork currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $13.55.

Upwork Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:UPWK opened at $9.93 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $8.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.60. Upwork has a 12-month low of $7.44 and a 12-month high of $22.84. The firm has a market cap of $1.24 billion, a PE ratio of 12.26 and a beta of 1.03.

Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) 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 company had revenue of $185.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $180.22 million. Upwork had a net margin of 13.53% and a return on equity of 17.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Upwork news, CFO Erica Gessert sold 22,844 shares of Upwork stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.43, for a total value of $192,574.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 364,789 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,075,171.27. The trade was a 5.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Hayden Brown sold 73,241 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.43, for a total value of $617,421.63. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 771,076 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,500,170.68. The trade was a 8.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 178,868 shares of company stock worth $1,509,462 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 4.90% of the company’s stock.

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

Upwork Company Profile

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.