greeksoup/ stock research

Upstart Holdings, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Originations and revenue grew: Originations reached $4.2 billion, up 50% year over year, across 558,014 loans. Total revenue was $365 million, up 42%, and revenue from fees was $348 million, up 45%. Source
  • Net income rose sharply: Net income was $16.5 million, up from $5.6 million a year earlier. Diluted net income per share was $0.16, against $0.05. Source
  • Contribution profit reached an all-time high: Contribution profit was $193 million, up 37%. Contribution margin was 55%, against 58% a year earlier. Source
  • Unsecured contribution margin held at 62%: Unsecured Lending contribution profit was $201 million, up 36%, on $326 million of fee revenue. Margin was 62%, unchanged year over year and up from 56% in Q1 2026. Source
  • Secured contribution margin still negative: Combined secured contribution margin for auto and home was negative 35%, against negative 176% a year earlier and negative 96% in Q1 2026. Source
  • Borrower acquisition costs rose: Borrower acquisition costs were $102.3 million in the second quarter of 2026, against $60.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Revenue and fee guidance held: Full-year 2026 total revenue of about $1.4 billion and revenue from fees of about $1.3 billion were kept unchanged. Source

“We came into this quarter with a clear plan, and we executed against it - re-accelerating growth in core personal loans, moving our secured products rapidly toward profitability, and funding that growth without adding equity capital.”

Paul Gu, Co-founder and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenue Sourcefull-year 2026approximately $1.4 billionKept
Revenue from fees Sourcefull-year 2026approximately $1.3 billionKept
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull-year 2026approximately $294 million (21%)Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Loan sales fees are now a separate line within revenue from fees; prior periods were reclassified to match. Source
  • New: The Personal Lending operating segment was renamed Unsecured Lending; management described the change as administrative. Source
  • New: Transaction Volume metrics were renamed Originations, Dollars and Originations, Number of Loans to match internal terminology. Source
  • New: Dividend income on certain cash accounts and convertible note expense moved from other income into the interest lines. Source
  • Ended: Reporting of the Conversion Rate metric is to be discontinued, beginning with the first quarter of 2027. Source

Second quarter results

  • Originations and revenue grew: Originations reached $4.2 billion, up 50% year over year, across 558,014 loans. Total revenue was $365 million, up 42%, and revenue from fees was $348 million, up 45%. Source
  • Net income rose sharply: Net income was $16.5 million, up from $5.6 million a year earlier. Diluted net income per share was $0.16, against $0.05. Source
  • Operating income rose to $14.6 million: Income from operations was $14.6 million, compared with $4.5 million in the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Contribution profit reached an all-time high: Contribution profit was $193 million, up 37%. Contribution margin was 55%, against 58% a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin held at 21%: Adjusted EBITDA was $76.9 million, up 45% from $53.1 million. The Adjusted EBITDA margin was 21%, unchanged from the prior-year quarter. Source

Unsecured and secured segments

  • Unsecured contribution margin held at 62%: Unsecured Lending contribution profit was $201 million, up 36%, on $326 million of fee revenue. Margin was 62%, unchanged year over year and up from 56% in Q1 2026. Source
  • Secured contribution margin still negative: Combined secured contribution margin for auto and home was negative 35%, against negative 176% a year earlier and negative 96% in Q1 2026. Source
  • Unsecured originations rose: Unsecured Lending originations were $3.64 billion on 535,191 loans, against $2.64 billion on 366,423 loans a year earlier. Source
  • Other segment originations rose: Auto Lending and Other originated $588.7 million on 22,823 loans, against $184.9 million on 6,176 loans a year earlier. Source

“The results speak for themselves: originations up 50% year-over-year and we returned to GAAP profitability, with an all-time-high Contribution Profit,”

Paul Gu, Co-founder and CEO

Costs and borrower acquisition

  • Borrower acquisition costs rose: Borrower acquisition costs were $102.3 million in the second quarter of 2026, against $60.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Verification and servicing costs rose: Borrower verification and servicing costs were $52.6 million, against $39.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Operating expenses rose across lines: Total operating expenses were $350.1 million, against $252.7 million. Sales and marketing was $114.5 million and engineering and product development was $93.9 million. Source
  • Stock-based compensation rose: Stock-based compensation and certain payroll tax expenses were $45.9 million, against $36.6 million, and are added back in Adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Reorganization expenses added back: Reorganization expenses of $1.7 million were added back in computing Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter; the prior-year quarter had none. Source

Demand and originations trend

  • Originations rose from first quarter: Originations were roughly $3.4 billion in the first quarter, against $4.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026.
  • Conversion rate fell year over year: Conversion rate was 19.7% in the second quarter of 2026, against 21.0% a year earlier. Source
  • Fully automated share near 91%: The percentage of loans fully automated was 91% in the second quarter of 2026, against 92% a year earlier. Source

Products and lending partners

  • Product lines include loans and Cash Line: The platform includes personal loans, automotive loans, home equity lines of credit, and a revolving line of credit called Cash Line. Source
  • More than 100 bank partners: The company connects consumers to more than 100 banks and credit unions that use its AI models and cloud applications. Source
  • Originations include HELOCs and Cash Line: Originations count committed HELOC amounts and drawn Cash Line amounts alongside loan originations, per the definition in the release. Source

Capital, cash and share count

  • Repurchases of stock in first half: Repurchases of stock totaled $100.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2026, the same figure shown for the three months ended March 31, 2026. Source
  • Cash balance declined at June 30: Cash and cash equivalents were $456.0 million at June 30, 2026, against $652.4 million at December 31, 2025, while restricted cash rose to $526.3 million. Source
  • Borrowings rose to $2.00 billion: Borrowings were $2.00 billion at June 30, 2026, against $1.83 billion at December 31, 2025. Proceeds from borrowings were $424.6 million for the six months. Source
  • Operating cash used for six months: Net cash used in operating activities was $269.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2026, against $133.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Share count declined slightly: Shares issued and outstanding were 97,306,813 at June 30, 2026, down from 98,033,361 at December 31, 2025. Source

Full-year 2026 guidance and targets

  • Revenue and fee guidance held: Full-year 2026 total revenue of about $1.4 billion and revenue from fees of about $1.3 billion were kept unchanged. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA guidance held: Full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA of about $294 million, a 21% margin, was kept unchanged. Source
  • Multi-year targets not restated: The prior release said there was no change to the 2025-2028 targets shared February 10, 2026. The current release does not restate them.

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Originations, Dollars Source$4.2 billion
Originations, Number of Loans Source558,014
Percentage of Loans Fully Automated Source91%
Conversion Rate Source19.7%
Banks and credit unions connected Sourcemore than 100

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said the company came into the quarter with a plan and executed against it. Source
  • On track: The prior release said results put the company on track for its full-year 2026 guidance.

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.