Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPST), the leading artificial
intelligence (AI) lending marketplace, today announced financial
results for its third quarter of fiscal year 2024 ended September
30, 2024. Upstart will host a conference call and webcast at 1:30
p.m. Pacific Time today. An earnings presentation and link to the
webcast are available at ir.upstart.com.
“With 43% sequential growth in lending volume and a return to
positive adjusted EBITDA, we continue to strengthen Upstart’s
position as the fintech leader in artificial intelligence,” said
Dave Girouard, co-founder and CEO of Upstart. “Even without a
significant boost from the macroeconomy, we’re back in growth
mode.”
Third Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights
- Revenue. Total revenue was $162 million, an increase of
20% from the third quarter of 2023, and up 27% sequentially. Total
fee revenue was $168 million, an increase of 14% year-over-year,
and up 28% sequentially.
- Transaction Volume and Conversion Rate. 188,149 loans
were originated, totaling $1.6 billion across our platform in the
third quarter of 2024, up 30% from the same quarter of the prior
year, and up 43% sequentially. Conversion on rate requests was
16.3% in the third quarter of 2024, up from 9.5% in the same
quarter of the prior year.
- Income (Loss) from Operations. Income (loss) from
operations was ($45.2) million, down from ($43.8) million in the
same quarter of the prior year.
- Net Income (Loss) and EPS. GAAP net income (loss) was
($6.8) million, up from ($40.3) million in the third quarter of the
prior year. Adjusted net income (loss) was ($5.3) million, down
from ($3.9) million in the same quarter of the prior year.
Accordingly, GAAP diluted earnings per share was ($0.07), and
diluted adjusted earnings per share was ($0.06) based on the
weighted-average common shares outstanding during the quarter.
- Contribution Profit. Contribution profit was $102.4
million in the third quarter of 2024, up 9% year-over-year, with a
contribution margin of 61% compared to a 64% contribution margin in
the same quarter of the prior year.
- Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA was $1.4 million, down
from $2.3 million in the same quarter of the prior year. The third
quarter 2024 Adjusted EBITDA margin was 1% of total revenue, down
from 2% in the same quarter of the prior year.
Financial Outlook
For the fourth quarter of 2024, Upstart expects:
- Revenue of approximately $180 million
- Revenue From Fees of approximately $185 million
- Net Interest Income (Loss) of approximately ($5)
million
- Contribution Margin of approximately 59%
- Net Income (Loss) of approximately ($35) million
- Adjusted Net Income (Loss) of approximately ($5)
million
- Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $5 million
- Basic Weighted-Average Share Count of approximately 91.7
million shares
- Diluted Weighted-Average Share Count of approximately
91.7 million shares
Upstart has not reconciled the forward-looking non-GAAP measures
above to comparable forward-looking GAAP measures because of the
potential variability and uncertainty of incurring these costs and
expenses in the future. Accordingly, a reconciliation is not
available without unreasonable effort.
Key Operating Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures
For a description of our key operating measures, please see the
section titled “Key Operating Metrics” below.
Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most
directly comparable financial results as determined in accordance
with GAAP are included at the end of this press release following
the accompanying financial data. For a description of these
non-GAAP financial measures, including the reasons management uses
each measure, please see the section titled "About Non-GAAP
Financial Measures” below.
Conference Call and Webcast
- Live Conference Call and Webcast at 1:30 p.m. PT on November
7, 2024. To access the call in the United States and Canada: +1
888-394-8218, conference code 8726199. To access the call outside
of the United States and Canada: +1 313-209-4906, conference code
8726199. A webcast is available at ir.upstart.com.
- Event Replay. A webcast of the event will be archived
for one year at ir.upstart.com.
About Upstart
Upstart (NASDAQ: UPST) is the leading AI lending marketplace,
connecting millions of consumers to more than 100 banks and credit
unions that leverage Upstart’s AI models and cloud applications to
deliver superior credit products. With Upstart AI, lenders can
approve more borrowers at lower rates across races, ages, and
genders, while delivering the exceptional digital-first experience
customers demand. More than 80% of borrowers are approved
instantly, with zero documentation to upload. Founded in 2012,
Upstart’s platform includes personal loans, automotive retail and
refinance loans, home equity lines of credit, and small-dollar
“relief” loans. Upstart is based in San Mateo, California, and also
has offices in Columbus, Ohio and Austin, Texas.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
including but not limited to, statements regarding our outlook for
the fourth quarter of 2024, continuing to strengthen our position
as the FinTech leader in artificial intelligence, and our return to
growth mode. You can identify forward-looking statements by the
fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current
facts. These statements may include words such as "anticipate",
"estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", "intend", “target”, “aim”,
"believe", "may", "will", "should", “becoming”, “look forward”,
“could”, "can have", "likely" and other words and terms of similar
meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature
of future operating or financial performance or other events.
Forward-looking statements give our current expectations and
projections relating to our financial condition; macroeconomic
factors; plans; objectives; product development; growth
opportunities; assumptions; risks; future performance; business;
investments; and results of operations, including revenue
(including revenue from fees and net interest income (loss)),
contribution margin, net income (loss), non-GAAP adjusted net
income (loss), Adjusted EBITDA, basic weighted-average share count
and diluted weighted-average share count. Neither we nor any other
person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of
any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking
statements included in this press release and on the related
conference call and webcast relate only to events as of the date
hereof. Upstart undertakes no obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.
All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially
from those that we expected. More information about factors that
could affect our results of operations and risks and uncertainties
are provided in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC"), copies of which may be obtained by visiting
our investor relations website at www.upstart.com or the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov. These risks and uncertainties include, but
are not limited to, our ability to manage the adverse effects of
macroeconomic conditions and disruptions in the banking sector and
credit markets, including inflation and related changes in interest
rates and monetary policy; our ability to access sufficient loan
funding, including through securitizations, committed capital and
other co-investment arrangements, whole loan sales, and warehouse
credit facilities; the effectiveness of our credit decisioning
models and risk management efforts, including reflecting the impact
of macroeconomic conditions on borrowers' credit risk; our ability
to retain existing, and attract new, lending partners; our future
growth prospects and financial performance; our ability to manage
risks associated with the loans on our balance sheet; our ability
to improve and expand our platform and products; and our ability to
operate successfully in a highly-regulated industry.
Key Operating Metrics
We review a number of operating metrics, including transaction
volume, dollars; transaction volume, number of loans; and
conversion rate to evaluate our business, measure our performance,
identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans
and make strategic decisions.
We define “transaction volume, dollars” as the total principal
of loan originations (or committed amounts for HELOCs) facilitated
on our marketplace during the periods presented. We define
“transaction volume, number of loans” as the number of loan
originations (or commitments issued for HELOCs) facilitated on our
marketplace during the periods presented. We believe these metrics
are good proxies for our overall scale and reach as a platform.
We define “conversion rate” as the transaction volume, number of
loans in a period divided by the number of rate inquiries received
that we estimate to be legitimate, which we record when a borrower
requests a loan offer on our platform. We track this metric to
understand the impact of improvements to the efficiency of our
borrower funnel on our overall growth.
About Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
(“GAAP”), we believe the non-GAAP measures of Contribution Profit,
Contribution Margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin,
Adjusted Net Income (Loss), and Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per
Share are useful in evaluating our operating performance. Certain
of these non-GAAP measures exclude stock-based compensation and
certain payroll tax expense, expense on convertible notes,
depreciation, amortization, as well as certain items that are not
related to core business and ongoing operations, such as gain on
debt extinguishment and reorganization expenses. We exclude
stock-based compensation, expense on convertible notes and other
non-operating expenses because they are non-cash in nature and are
excluded in order to facilitate comparisons to other companies’
results.
We believe non-GAAP information is useful in evaluating the
operating results, ongoing operations, and for internal planning
and forecasting purposes. We also believe that non-GAAP financial
measures provide consistency and comparability with past financial
performance and assist investors with comparing Upstart to other
companies, some of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to
supplement their GAAP results. However, non-GAAP financial measures
are presented for supplemental informational purposes only and
should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to,
financial information presented in accordance with GAAP and may be
different from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures used by
other companies.
Key limitations of our non-GAAP financial measures include:
- Contribution Profit and Contribution Margin are not GAAP
financial measures of, nor do they imply, profitability. Even if
our revenue exceeds variable expenses over time, we may not be able
to achieve or maintain profitability, and the relationship of
revenue to variable expenses is not necessarily indicative of
future performance;
- Contribution Profit and Contribution Margin do not reflect all
of our variable expenses and involve some judgment and discretion
around what costs vary directly with loan volume. Other companies
that present contribution profit and contribution margin may
calculate it differently and, therefore, similarly titled measures
presented by other companies may not be directly comparable to
ours;
- Although depreciation expense is a non-cash charge, the assets
being depreciated may have to be replaced in the future, and
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin do not reflect cash
capital expenditure requirements for such replacements or for new
capital expenditure requirements;
- Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin exclude stock-based
compensation expense and certain employer payroll taxes on employee
stock transactions. Stock-based compensation expense has been, and
will continue to be for the foreseeable future, a significant
recurring expense for our business and an important part of our
compensation strategy. The amount of employer payroll tax-related
expense on employee stock transactions is dependent on our stock
price and other factors that are beyond our control and which may
not correlate to the operation of the business;
- Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin do not reflect: (1)
changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
(2) interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service
interest or principal payments on our debt, which reduces cash
available to us; or (3) tax payments that may represent a reduction
in cash available to us; and
- The expenses and other items that we exclude in our calculation
of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin may differ from the
expenses and other items, if any, that other companies may exclude
from adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin when they report
their operating results.
Reconciliation tables of the most comparable GAAP financial
measures to the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press
release are included below.
UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE
SHEETS
(In Thousands, Except Share
and Per Share Data)
(Unaudited)
December 31,
September 30,
2023
2024
Assets
Cash
$
368,405
$
445,274
Restricted cash
99,382
210,493
Loans (at fair value)(1)
1,156,413
656,120
Property, equipment, and software, net
42,655
38,328
Operating lease right of use assets
54,694
46,318
Beneficial interest assets (at fair
value)
41,012
131,483
Non-marketable equity securities
41,250
41,250
Goodwill
67,062
67,062
Other assets (includes $48,897 and $70,676
at fair value as of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024,
respectively)
146,227
172,652
Total assets
$
2,017,100
$
1,808,980
Liabilities and Stockholders’
Equity
Liabilities:
Payable to investors
$
53,580
$
60,778
Borrowings
1,040,424
887,367
Payable to securitization note holders (at
fair value)
141,416
100,335
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
(includes $10,510 and $18,671 at fair value as of December 31, 2023
and September 30, 2024, respectively)
84,051
111,616
Operating lease liabilities
62,324
53,348
Total liabilities
1,381,795
1,213,444
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.0001 par value;
700,000,000 shares authorized; 86,330,303 and 90,998,255, shares
issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and September 30,
2024, respectively
9
9
Additional paid-in capital
917,872
1,003,929
Accumulated deficit
(282,576)
(408,402)
Total stockholders’ equity
635,305
595,536
Total liabilities and stockholders’
equity
$
2,017,100
$
1,808,980
(1)
Includes $179.1 million and
$118.5 million of loans, at fair value, contributed as collateral
for the consolidated securitization as of December 31, 2023 and
September 30, 2024, respectively.
UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS and COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(In Thousands, Except Share
and Per Share Data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended September
30,
Nine Months Ended September
30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Revenue:
Revenue from fees, net
$
146,755
$
167,590
$
407,585
$
436,190
Interest income, interest expense, and
fair value adjustments, net:
Interest income(1)
37,692
40,845
116,923
144,899
Interest expense(1)
(9,414)
(10,818)
(20,828)
(33,002)
Fair value and other adjustments(1)
(40,476)
(35,477)
(130,430)
(130,523)
Total interest income, interest expense,
and fair value adjustments, net
(12,198)
(5,450)
(34,335)
(18,626)
Total revenue
134,557
162,140
373,250
417,564
Operating expenses:
Sales and marketing
33,042
43,229
88,371
111,337
Customer operations
36,914
39,302
114,301
117,394
Engineering and product development
54,941
64,887
222,986
186,431
General, administrative, and other
53,505
59,874
156,616
170,508
Total operating expenses
178,402
207,292
582,274
585,670
Loss from operations
(43,845)
(45,152)
(209,024)
(168,106)
Other income, net
3,540
5,078
11,334
8,993
Gain on debt extinguishment
—
33,361
—
33,361
Net loss before income taxes
(40,305)
(6,713)
(197,690)
(125,752)
Provision for income taxes
10
45
44
74
Net loss
$
(40,315)
$
(6,758)
$
(197,734)
$
(125,826)
Net loss per share, basic
$
(0.48)
$
(0.07)
$
(2.38)
$
(1.42)
Net loss per share, diluted
$
(0.48)
$
(0.07)
$
(2.38)
$
(1.42)
Weighted-average number of shares
outstanding used in computing net loss per share, basic
84,404,966
90,119,481
83,158,146
88,534,495
Weighted-average number of shares
outstanding used in computing net loss per share, diluted
84,404,966
90,119,481
83,158,146
88,534,495
(1)
Balances for the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2023 include $10.0 million of interest
income, ($3.8) million of interest expense, and $0.4 million of
fair value and other adjustments, net related to the consolidated
securitization. Balances for the three months ended September 30,
2024 include $6.7 million of interest income, ($2.3) million of
interest expense, and ($5.7) million of fair value and other
adjustments, net related to the consolidated securitization.
Balances for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 include $23.1
million of interest income, ($7.5) million of interest expense, and
($25.6) million of fair value and other adjustments, net related to
the consolidated securitization.
UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In Thousands)
(Unaudited)
Nine Months Ended September
30,
2023
2024
Cash flows from operating
activities
Net loss
$
(197,734)
$
(125,826)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net
cash provided by operating activities:
Change in fair value of loans
131,222
167,545
Change in fair value of servicing
assets
16,888
12,838
Change in fair value of servicing
liabilities
(1,655)
(877)
Change in fair value of beneficial
interest assets
9,128
(35,825)
Change in fair value of beneficial
interest liabilities
(848)
12,633
Change in fair value of other financial
instruments
(3,418)
8,263
Stock-based compensation
142,273
103,604
Gain on loan servicing rights, net
(10,432)
(11,448)
Gain on debt extinguishment
—
(33,361)
Depreciation and amortization
15,800
15,850
Non-cash interest expense
2,296
2,156
Other
(2,260)
(10,874)
Net changes in operating assets and
liabilities:
Purchases of loans held-for-sale
(2,076,734)
(2,626,246)
Proceeds from sale of loans
held-for-sale
1,875,358
2,613,039
Principal payments received for loans
held-for-sale
139,582
157,010
Principal payments received for loans held
by consolidated securitization
12,302
36,532
Payments on beneficial interest
liabilities
—
(3,692)
Other assets
27
(2,110)
Operating lease liability and right-of-use
asset
1,563
(600)
Payable to investors for beneficial
interest assets(1)
5,749
—
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
(25,220)
18,646
Net cash provided by operating
activities
33,887
297,257
Cash flows from investing
activities
Purchases and originations of loans
held-for-investment
(121,294)
(196,580)
Proceeds from sale of loans
held-for-investment
774
—
Principal payments received for loans
held-for-investment
78,327
99,768
Principal payments received for notes
receivable and repayments of residual
3,556
4,004
Purchases of property and equipment
(1,285)
(837)
Capitalized software costs
(9,135)
(5,734)
Acquisition of beneficial interest
assets
(39,505)
(63,246)
Proceeds from beneficial interest
assets
—
2,808
Net cash used in investing activities
(88,562)
(159,817)
Cash flows from financing
activities
Proceeds from warehouse borrowings
529,494
297,587
Proceeds from convertible notes issuance,
net of debt issuance costs paid to lender
—
423,002
Payment of debt issuance costs to third
party
—
(1,455)
Repayments of warehouse borrowings
(514,792)
(293,179)
Payments for repurchases of convertible
notes
—
(325,344)
Purchase of capped calls
—
(40,883)
Settlement of capped calls
—
580
Principal payments made on securitization
notes
(10,016)
(42,705)
Payable to investors(1)
(50,668)
12,990
Proceeds from issuance of securitization
notes
165,318
—
Proceeds from issuance of common stock
under employee stock purchase
8,431
7,685
Proceeds from exercise of stock
options
9,475
12,281
Taxes paid related to net share settlement
of equity awards
(6)
(19)
Net cash provided by financing
activities
137,236
50,540
Change in cash and restricted cash
82,561
187,980
Cash and restricted cash
Cash and restricted cash at beginning of
period
532,467
467,787
Cash and restricted cash at end of
period
$
615,028
$
655,767
(1)
During the nine months ended
September 30, 2024, the Company elected to change the presentation
of changes in payable to investors balance on the condensed
consolidated statement of cash flows. Under the new presentation, a
portion of the payable to investors balance related to fiduciary
cash was reclassified from operating to financing activities.
UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(In Thousands, Except Share
and Per Share Data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended September
30,
Nine Months Ended September
30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Revenue from fees, net
$
146,755
$
167,590
$
407,585
$
436,190
Loss from operations
(43,845)
(45,152)
(209,024)
(168,106)
Operating Margin
(30)%
(27)%
(51)%
(39)%
Sales and marketing, net of borrower
acquisition costs(1)
$
9,444
$
10,480
$
26,012
$
30,552
Customer operations, net of borrower
verification and servicing costs(2)
7,911
6,837
26,774
21,624
Engineering and product development
54,941
64,887
222,986
186,431
General, administrative, and other
53,505
59,874
156,616
170,508
Interest income, interest expense, and
fair value adjustments, net
12,198
5,450
34,335
18,626
Contribution Profit
$
94,154
$
102,376
$
257,699
$
259,635
Contribution Margin
64%
61%
63%
60%
(1)
Borrower acquisition costs were
$23.6 million and $32.7 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively, and $62.4 million and
$80.8 million for nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024,
respectively. Borrower acquisition costs consist of our sales and
marketing expenses adjusted to exclude costs not directly
attributable to attracting a new borrower, such as payroll-related
expenses for our business development and marketing teams, as well
as other operational, brand awareness and marketing activities.
These costs do not include reorganization expenses.
(2)
Borrower verification and
servicing costs were $29.0 million and $32.5 million for the three
months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively, and $87.5
million and $95.8 million for nine months ended September 30, 2023
and 2024. Borrower verification and servicing costs consist of
payroll and other personnel-related expenses for personnel engaged
in loan onboarding, verification and servicing, as well as
servicing system costs. It excludes payroll and personnel-related
expenses and stock-based compensation for certain members of our
customer operations team whose work is not directly attributable to
onboarding and servicing loans. These costs do not include
reorganization expenses.
UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(In Thousands, Except Share
and Per Share Data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended September
30,
Nine Months Ended September
30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Total revenue
$
134,557
$
162,140
$
373,250
$
417,564
Net loss
(40,315)
(6,758)
(197,734)
(125,826)
Net Loss Margin
(30)%
(4)%
(53)%
(30)%
Adjusted to exclude the following:
Stock-based compensation and certain
payroll tax expenses(1)
$
36,446
$
34,794
$
144,991
$
107,639
Depreciation and amortization
4,934
5,390
15,800
15,850
Reorganization expenses
—
—
15,536
3,778
Expense on convertible notes
1,177
1,303
3,527
3,664
Gain on debt extinguishment
—
(33,361)
—
(33,361)
Provision for income taxes
10
45
44
74
Adjusted EBITDA
$
2,252
$
1,413
$
(17,836)
$
(28,182)
Adjusted EBITDA Margin
2%
1%
(5)%
(7)%
(1)
Payroll tax expenses include the
employer payroll tax-related expense on employee stock
transactions, as the amount is dependent on our stock price and
other factors that are beyond our control and do not correlate to
the operation of our business.
UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(In Thousands, Except Share
and Per Share Data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended September
30,
Nine Months Ended September
30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Net loss
$
(40,315)
$
(6,758)
$
(197,734)
$
(125,826)
Adjusted to exclude the following:
Stock-based compensation and certain
payroll tax expenses(1)
36,446
34,794
144,991
107,639
Reorganization expenses
—
—
15,536
3,778
Gain on debt extinguishment
—
(33,361)
—
(33,361)
Adjusted Net Loss
$
(3,869)
$
(5,325)
$
(37,207)
$
(47,770)
Net loss per share:
Basic
$
(0.48)
$
(0.07)
$
(2.38)
$
(1.42)
Diluted
$
(0.48)
$
(0.07)
$
(2.38)
$
(1.42)
Adjusted Net Loss per share:
Basic
$
(0.05)
$
(0.06)
$
(0.45)
$
(0.54)
Diluted
$
(0.05)
$
(0.06)
$
(0.45)
$
(0.54)
Weighted-average common shares
outstanding:
Basic
84,404,966
90,119,481
83,158,146
88,534,495
Diluted
84,404,966
90,119,481
83,158,146
88,534,495
(1)
Payroll tax expenses include the
employer payroll tax-related expense on employee stock
transactions, as the amount is dependent on our stock price and
other factors that are beyond our control and do not correlate to
the operation of our business.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241107608158/en/
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