Upbound Group, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 30 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

Revenue rose 3.7% year-over-year: Consolidated revenue rose 3.7% year-over-year to $1.2 billion, which the company headlines as continued topline growth. Source
Operating cash flow reached $171 million: Net cash provided by operating activities was $171 million, an increase of $23 million year-over-year. Source
Brigit revenue up more than 40%: Brigit revenue increased more than 40% year-over-year, which the company describes as ongoing expansion. Source
Acima revenue up 1.8%, charge-offs lower: Acima revenue rose about 1.8% year-over-year to $649 million, and the lease charge-off rate improved to 8.8%, down 130 basis points sequentially. Source
Same store sales up 0.4%: Rent-A-Center same store sales rose 0.4% year-over-year, alongside a 20 basis point sequential improvement in the lease charge-off rate. Source

“Acima Shows Disciplined Execution: Acima revenue increased approximately 1.8% year-over-year to $649 million, while lease charge-off rate4 improved to 8.8%, down 130 basis points sequentially.”
Upbound Group, Inc., press release

Guidance

Area	Period	Figure	Against last quarter
Consolidated revenue Source	Fiscal year 2026	between $4.70 billion and $4.95 billion	Kept
Adjusted EBITDA Source	Fiscal year 2026	between $500 million and $535 million	Kept
Non-GAAP diluted EPS Source	Fiscal year 2026	between $4.00 and $4.35	Kept
Consolidated revenue Source	Second quarter of 2026	between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion	New
Adjusted EBITDA Source	Second quarter of 2026	between $120 million and $130 million	New
Non-GAAP diluted EPS Source	Second quarter of 2026	between $1.00 and $1.10	New

What changed from last quarter

Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 ranges for revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP diluted EPS were reaffirmed; the prior release had introduced them. Source
New guidance: Second-quarter 2026 ranges for revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP diluted EPS were given; the prior release gave no quarterly figures. Source

Consolidated results and cash flow

Revenue rose 3.7% year-over-year: Consolidated revenue rose 3.7% year-over-year to $1.2 billion, which the company headlines as continued topline growth. Source
Operating cash flow reached $171 million: Net cash provided by operating activities was $171 million, an increase of $23 million year-over-year. Source
Prior quarter cash flow was $42 million: The prior quarter reported $42 million of net cash provided by operating activities, described as an increase of more than $100 million year-over-year.
Highlights are not a full review: The company says the highlights are not a complete review of quarterly results or updated guidance and refers readers to the full earnings release. Source
CEO and CFO scheduled call: Chief Executive Officer Fahmi Karam and Chief Financial Officer Hal Khouri were scheduled to host a 9 a.m. ET call on the release date to review results. Source

Brigit revenue and subscribers

Brigit revenue up more than 40%: Brigit revenue increased more than 40% year-over-year, which the company describes as ongoing expansion. Source
Subscriber and ARPU growth double-digit: The company attributes the revenue growth to double-digit growth in both paying subscribers and average revenue per user. Source
Paying subscriber definition: A paying subscriber is a Brigit customer with an active Plus or Premium account, not 45 days past due on a cash advance, who made one of the last two subscription payments. Source
Prior quarter Brigit revenue $65 million: The prior quarter release reported Brigit revenue of $65 million, about 1.6 million paying subscribers and nearly 10% ARPU growth year-over-year.

“Rent-A-Center Progress Continues: Rent-A-Center same store sales5 grew 0.4% year-over-year, alongside a 20 basis point sequential improvement in lease charge-off rate.”
Upbound Group, Inc., press release

Acima revenue and charge-offs

Acima revenue up 1.8%, charge-offs lower: Acima revenue rose about 1.8% year-over-year to $649 million, and the lease charge-off rate improved to 8.8%, down 130 basis points sequentially. Source
Lease charge-off definition: Lease charge-offs are the net book value of unrecoverable on-rent merchandise for past-due lease-to-own customers, expressed as a share of revenue. Source
Prior quarter growth streak: The prior quarter release reported Acima's ninth consecutive quarter of GMV and revenue growth, with revenue up 9%; this release does not state GMV.

Rent-A-Center same store sales

Same store sales up 0.4%: Rent-A-Center same store sales rose 0.4% year-over-year, alongside a 20 basis point sequential improvement in the lease charge-off rate. Source
Prior quarter same store sales 0.8%: The prior quarter reported same store sales up 0.8% year-over-year, with a 10 basis point year-over-year reduction in the lease charge-off rate.
Segment charge-off exclusions: The Rent-A-Center segment lease charge-off figures exclude Get It Now, Home Choice and franchisee-owned Rent-A-Center locations. Source

“2026 Outlook Reaffirmed: For fiscal year 2026, the Company reaffirms its expectation for consolidated revenue of between $4.70 billion and $4.95 billion, Adjusted EBITDA6 of between $500 million and $535 million, and non-GAAP diluted EPS6 of between $4.00 and $4.35.”
Upbound Group, Inc., press release

Non-GAAP measure definitions

Non-GAAP diluted EPS defined: Non-GAAP diluted EPS is net earnings or loss adjusted for special items, net of taxes, divided by fully diluted shares of common stock. Source
Adjusted EBITDA defined: Adjusted EBITDA is net earnings before interest, taxes, stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for special items, on a consolidated basis. Source
Special items defined: Special items are gains and charges management views as extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring, or as not reflecting core business activities. Source

Non-GAAP use and limitations

No GAAP reconciliation for forecasts: Management says it cannot provide a meaningful forecast of comparable GAAP measures or a reconciliation to forecast non-GAAP measures without unreasonable effort, given uncertainty in special items. Source
Adjusted EBITDA used in incentive pay: Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is also used in the incentive compensation program for executive officers and others. Source
Non-GAAP measures not GAAP substitutes: The company says non-GAAP measures have inherent limitations and are not substitutes for, or superior to, GAAP measures. Source
Measures aid comparison and planning: The company says the measures help management evaluate performance and liquidity, compare periods, and plan and forecast future operations. Source

Coming up, as management said on 30 April 2026

Second-quarter 2026 ranges: The second-quarter ranges cover the period after the quarter reported here; the release gives no date for the next guidance update. Source

Figures management reported

Figure	Reported
Brigit paying subscriber growth Source	double-digit growth
Brigit ARPU growth Source	double-digit growth

Earlier plans management reported on

Not stated: Management refers back to the full-year 2026 revenue range and reaffirms it; the release does not state progress against it. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.

As filed with the SEC

Open the filing on EDGAR

Upbound Group, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2026 Results

April 30, 2026 PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 30, 2026-- Upbound Group, Inc. (the "Company" or "Upbound") (NASDAQ:UPBD) today announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The earnings release, financial tables and related materials can be found on the Company's investor relations website at https://investor.upbound.com. Today at 9 a.m. ET, Fahmi Karam, Chief Executive Officer, and Hal Khouri, Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call to review the Company’s financial results. Interested parties can access a live webcast of the conference call via this link (Webcast Link) or through the Company's investor relations website.

First Quarter 2026 Highlights1

Continued Topline Growth: Consolidated revenue increased 3.7% year-over-year to $1.2 billion.

Brigit Demonstrates Ongoing Expansion: Brigit revenue increased more than 40% year-over-year, supported by double-digit growth in paying subscribers2 and ARPU3.

Acima Shows Disciplined Execution: Acima revenue increased approximately 1.8% year-over-year to $649 million, while lease charge-off rate4 improved to 8.8%, down 130 basis points sequentially.

Rent-A-Center Progress Continues: Rent-A-Center same store sales5 grew 0.4% year-over-year, alongside a 20 basis point sequential improvement in lease charge-off rate.

Robust Cash Flow Generation: The Company reported $171 million of net cash provided by operating activities, an increase of $23 million year-over-year.

2026 Outlook Reaffirmed: For fiscal year 2026, the Company reaffirms its expectation for consolidated revenue of between $4.70 billion and $4.95 billion, Adjusted EBITDA6 of between $500 million and $535 million, and non-GAAP diluted EPS6 of between $4.00 and $4.35. For the second quarter of 2026, the Company expects consolidated revenue of between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion, Adjusted EBITDA6 of between $120 million and $130 million, and non-GAAP diluted EPS6 of between $1.00 and $1.10.

About Upbound Group, Inc.

Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPBD), is a technology and data-driven leader in accessible and inclusive financial solutions that address the evolving needs and aspirations of underserved consumers. The Company’s customer-facing operating units include industry-leading brands such as Acima®, BrigitTM, and Rent-A-Center® that facilitate consumer transactions across a wide range of store-based and digital channels in the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Upbound Group, Inc. is headquartered in Plano, Texas. For additional information about the Company, please visit our website Upbound.com.

(1) The selected highlights referenced herein do not provide a complete review of the Company’s results for the quarter or updated guidance and outlook. Please refer to the Company’s full earnings release and related materials, as noted in this release, for additional information.

(2) Brigit Paying Subscribers: Represents Brigit customers who have an active Plus or Premium account, not delinquent (not 45 days past due) on a cash advance, and made at least 1 of the last 2 subscription payments.

(3) ARPU: Average monthly revenue per Brigit Paying Subscriber, where Brigit Paying Subscriber is defined in footnote 2 above.

(4) Lease Charge-Offs: Represents charge-offs of the net book value of unrecoverable on-rent merchandise with lease-to-own customers who are past due. This is typically expressed as a percentage of revenues for the applicable period. For the Rent-A-Center segment, LCOs exclude Get It Now, Home Choice, and Franchisee-owned Rent-A-Center locations.

(5) Same Store Sales (SSS): Same store sales generally represents revenue earned in Company-owned Rent-A-Center stores that were operated by us for 13 months or more and are reported on a constant currency basis as a percentage of total revenue earned in stores of the segment during the indicated period. The Company excludes from the same store sales base any store that receives a certain level of customer accounts from closed stores or acquisitions. The receiving store will be eligible for inclusion in the same store sales base in the 30th full month following account transfer.

(6) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for the definitions and other information regarding our non-GAAP financial measures included in this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements notice

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among others, statements regarding our 2026 financial guidance and other statements regarding our future outlook and other non-historical items. Such forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "could," "estimate," "predict," "continue," “maintain,” "should," "anticipate," "believe," or “confident,” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are based on particular assumptions that our management has made in light of its experience and its perception of expected future developments and other factors that it believes are appropriate under the circumstances, and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause or contribute to material and adverse differences between actual and anticipated results include, but are not limited to, (1) the general strength of the economy and other economic conditions affecting consumer preferences, spending and payment behaviors, including the availability of credit to the Company's target consumers and to other consumers, impacts from continued inflation, central bank monetary policy initiatives to address inflation concerns and a possible recession or slowdown in economic growth, (2) risks described in our full first quarter 2026 earnings release and related materials, and (3) the other risks detailed from time to time in the reports filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as well as subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to, and do not undertake to, publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect any events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release contains certain financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), including (1) Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (net earnings or loss, as adjusted for special items (as defined below), net of taxes, divided by the number of shares of our common stock on a fully diluted basis) and (2) Adjusted EBITDA (net earnings before interest, taxes, stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, as adjusted for special items) on a consolidated basis. “Special items” refers to certain gains and charges we view as extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring in nature or which we believe do not reflect our core business activities, and, for historical items, are reported as Other Gains and Charges in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Because of the inherent uncertainty related to these special items, management does not believe it is able to provide a meaningful forecast of the comparable GAAP measures or reconciliation to forecasted non-GAAP measures without unreasonable effort. These non-GAAP measures are additional tools intended to assist our management in comparing our performance on a more consistent basis for purposes of business decision-making by removing the impact of certain items management believes do not directly reflect our core operations. These measures are intended to assist management in evaluating operating performance and liquidity, comparing performance and liquidity across periods, planning and forecasting future business operations, helping determine levels of operating and capital investments and identifying and assessing additional trends potentially impacting our Company that may not be shown solely by comparisons of GAAP measures. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is also used as part of our incentive compensation program for our executive officers and others. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures also provide supplemental information that is useful to investors, analysts and other external users of our consolidated financial statements in understanding our financial results and evaluating our performance and liquidity from period to period. However, non-GAAP financial measures have inherent limitations and are not substitutes for, or superior to, GAAP financial measures, and they should be read together with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Further, because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare such measures to the non-GAAP financial measures presented by other companies, even if they have the same or similar names.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260430347950/en/

Upbound Investor Relations: investor.relations@upbound.com 972-801-1103

Source: Upbound Group, Inc.