Upwork Inc. ($UPWK) Stock Forecast: Up 7.2% Today

What is Upwork Inc.?

Upwork (UPWK) is a freelance marketplace platform that connects businesses with freelancers for various projects. The company has shown strong growth and financial performance in recent years.

Why is Upwork Inc. going up?

UPWK stock is up 7.2% on Feb 18, 2026 19:35

• A $300 million share buyback program announced by Upwork has boosted investor confidence and triggered a bullish movement in the stock.
• The buyback program demonstrates Upwork's dedication to improving shareholder value and showcases the company's faith in its financial well-being and expansion opportunities.
• Despite some cautious optimism stemming from insider sales and market volatility, Upwork's emphasis on accelerating Gross Services Volume and revenue in key sectors like SMB, AI, and Enterprise has been well-received by investors.
• The rise in Upwork's stock price suggests that investors interpret the buyback program as a strategic step to leverage the company's robust performance in 2025 and its potential for future growth.

UPWK Price Chart

UPWK Technical Analysis

UPWK News

Upwork (UPWK) Initiates $300 Million Share Buyback Program

Upwork (UPWK) has announced a $300 million share buyback program, signaling confidence in its financial health and commitment to shareholder value. The company achieved significant growth in 2025 and plans to accelerate its Gross Services Volume and revenue in 2026 by focusing on SMB, AI, and Enterprise segments. While showing strong profitability and liquidity, insider sales and market volatility warrant cautious optimism from investors.

https://www.gurufocus.com/news/8626527/upwork-upwk-initiates-300-million-share-buyback-program

Upwork authorizes $300 million share repurchase program By Investing.com

Upwork Inc. has announced a new $300 million share repurchase program, bringing its total authorizations to $600 million since November 2023. The company, which has a market capitalization of approximately $1.66 billion, aims to return value to shareholders following a "pivotal year" in 2025 marked by GSV growth and record financial results, and currently holds more cash than debt. The program has no expiration date, subject to market conditions and other factors, and follows the repurchase of over 9 million shares for $136 million in 2025.

https://ca.investing.com/news/company-news/upwork-authorizes-300-million-share-repurchase-program-93CH-4463694

This Freelance Marketplace Stock Is Rising Before The Bell — Here's Why

Upwork Inc. (UPWK) shares surged almost 10% in pre-market trading after announcing a new $300 million share repurchase program, following a previous $136 million buyback in 2025. The company reported better-than-expected Q4 earnings but issued soft Q1 guidance, leading to some analyst price target cuts despite maintained "Buy" ratings from some firms. Upwork's CEO emphasized the company's strong performance in 2025 and its plan to reinvest in growth while returning value to shareholders.

https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/upwk-stock-rises-upwork-announces-300-million-share-repurchase-program/cZR0q3yR4vI/amp

Upwork Announces $300 Million Share Repurchase Program

Upwork Inc. has announced a new $300 million share repurchase program, bringing total authorizations since November 2023 to $600 million. This move follows a strong performance in 2025 with record financial results and aims to return value to shareholders while investing in key growth areas like SMB, AI, and Enterprise. The company plans to accelerate GSV and revenue growth in 2026, leveraging its position in the AI-powered work marketplace.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/02/18/tmt-newswire/globenewswire/upwork-announces-300-million-share-repurchase-program/2280210

Upwork announces $300 million share repurchase program

Upwork Inc. has announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new share repurchase program, allowing the company to buy back up to $300 million of its common stock. This initiative reflects the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders and managing its capital effectively. The repurchase program adds to the financial activities recently observed for Upwork, including analyst rating adjustments and Q4 2025 earnings reports.

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/upwork-inc-announces-300-million-share-repurchase-program-ce7e5ddedc81f023

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Upwork Inc. Price History

13.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was up 5.2%

• Despite recent challenges and negative sentiment regarding financial performance, Upwork's stock showed a strong bullish movement today.
• This could be a response to perceived opportunities for growth and recovery post a significant decline, along with lowered price targets by analysts.
• Investors seem hopeful about Upwork's potential to stabilize client spending, enhance margins, and leverage AI and enterprise solutions for future profitability.
• The upbeat stock movement may also reflect market sentiment and expectations of strategic responses from Upwork following recent earnings reports.

12.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was down 8.7%

• UPWK stock saw a significant drop of approximately 16-19% after its Q4 2025 earnings release, even though it surpassed revenue and EPS projections.
• Market response was negative due to UPWK's softer 2026 forecast, including an anticipated decrease in Gross Services Volume, which influenced its previous strong growth narrative driven by AI-related initiatives.
• Analysts are worried about the company's short-term guidance, pointing out concerns about client activity, demand fragility, and slower revenue growth in the first half of 2026.
• Despite positive indicators like profitability and growth in AI-related services, UPWK's stock decline reflects investor doubts about its capacity to stabilize client spending and maintain margin enhancements amid changing market dynamics.

06.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was up 6.2%

• The surge in demand for AI skills has likely positively impacted Upwork's stock performance.
• Companies integrating AI into daily operations and the increasing need for AI-related skills suggest a growing market for Upwork's services.
• Competition and volatility in the AI industry could have led to fluctuations but ultimately contributed to the bullish movement as investors see potential in Upwork's positioning.
• The emphasis on human expertise alongside AI skills indicates a shift towards hybrid teams, where Upwork's platform can play a crucial role in connecting businesses with specialized freelance talent for AI-related projects, further boosting its market value.

05.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was up 5.1%

• Upwork experienced a strong bullish movement today due to the surge in demand for AI skills.
• The increase in job postings seeking AI skills, particularly for practical applications like video generation and data annotation, indicates a growing trend of integrating AI into daily operations.
• The competition in the AI tools market may have initially caused some investor concerns, but the overall emphasis on human expertise alongside AI integration likely reassured the market about Upwork's position in the evolving job market.
• The shift towards hybrid teams and the need for specialized talent blending technical skills with human judgment further solidifies Upwork's relevance and growth potential in the changing landscape of work.

11.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was down 8.7%

• Upwork recently announced robust Q4 earnings but provided a less-than-optimistic Q1 outlook, causing a significant 19% decline in stock value and breaching crucial support levels.
• Concerns surrounding execution risks associated with Upwork's restructuring efforts have prompted RBC Capital and Scotiabank to lower their price projections.
• Despite the market's negative response, Needham remains bullish on Upwork's growth prospects and financial flexibility, maintaining a Buy rating and a $25 price target.
• Factors such as a projected growth surge later in the year, expenses related to transitioning enterprise clients, and uncertainties regarding the impact of AI on expanding the user base likely contributed to the stock's downward trend.

22.00.2026 - UPWK Stock was up 5.1%

• The gap down in the stock price on January 20th might have created a buying opportunity for investors, leading to the bullish movement.
• The upcoming financial results announcement on February 9, 2026, could be generating positive sentiment among investors, anticipating strong performance.
• Despite a 55% loss over the last five years, the recent profitability and revenue growth of Upwork might be signaling a turnaround in the company's fortunes, attracting bullish interest in the stock.
• The market's reaction to the company's role in connecting businesses with global, AI-enabled talent and its significant transaction volume could be contributing to the bullish movement.

18.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was up 6.6%

• Despite a decrease in its price target by a financial institution, Upwork observed a positive movement in the market, showing investor confidence in its future.
• The market response to Upwork's Q4 performance, despite meeting revenue and EPS forecasts, might be linked to concerns about the impact of AI on user growth and the company's conservative revenue guidance for 2026.
• A strategic SWOT analysis of Upwork reveals strengths in marketplace control and AI integration, while weaknesses in operating costs and regulatory issues might have influenced the cautious market sentiment.
• The discrepancy between Upwork's AI-focused margin goals and its conservative 2026 outlook could have unsettled investors, resulting in a varied market reaction.

18.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was up 7.2%

• A $300 million share buyback program announced by Upwork has boosted investor confidence and triggered a bullish movement in the stock.
• The buyback program demonstrates Upwork's dedication to improving shareholder value and showcases the company's faith in its financial well-being and expansion opportunities.
• Despite some cautious optimism stemming from insider sales and market volatility, Upwork's emphasis on accelerating Gross Services Volume and revenue in key sectors like SMB, AI, and Enterprise has been well-received by investors.
• The rise in Upwork's stock price suggests that investors interpret the buyback program as a strategic step to leverage the company's robust performance in 2025 and its potential for future growth.

10.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was down 15.5%

• Despite recording strong Q4 2025 earnings and growth in AI-related services, Upwork's stock witnessed a downward trend.
• The stock price decrease was influenced by a cautious Q1 2026 outlook that did not meet analyst projections.
• Investor worries stemmed from underwhelming Q1 2026 guidance compared to analyst estimates and a conservative short-term forecast, overshadowing the company's positive operational performance and record annual revenue.
• Additionally, insider selling by directors and the CFO reducing their stakes may have added to the prevailing negative sentiment around the stock.

10.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was down 15.9%

• Upwork's stock experienced a strong bearish movement today, despite reporting record Q4 2025 earnings and achieving significant milestones in AI-related services.
• Analysts from RBC Capital and Scotiabank lowered their price targets for Upwork due to concerns about execution risk, lack of growth, and economic uncertainties impacting user base expansion.
• Despite the bearish market movement, Needham reiterated a Buy rating on Upwork stock, highlighting growth drivers like the scaling of Business Plus tier and increased spending from high-value clients.
• The cautious Q1 2026 outlook, falling short of analyst expectations, likely contributed to the stock decline, overshadowing the company's strong financial performance in the previous quarter.

27.00.2026 - UPWK Stock was down 5.0%

• A notable reduction of 33.0% in Upwork's stake by Baillie Gifford & Co. and the selling of shares by company insiders may have influenced negative investor sentiment, leading to a downturn in the stock.
• While analysts uphold a "Moderate Buy" rating and an average target price of $23.91, concerns regarding the future earnings growth outlook could have contributed to the bearish trajectory, despite recent price increases.
• The downward gap in Upwork shares on January 20th, alongside GuruFocus predicting a potential downside, likely intensified selling pressure and bolstered the bearish trend.
• The forthcoming financial results disclosure scheduled for February 9, 2026, might have introduced uncertainty in market sentiment, prompting some investors to adopt a more cautious stance towards Upwork stock, contributing to the bearish movement.

03.01.2026 - UPWK Stock was down 6.7%

• The bearish movement in UPWK stock today could be attributed to the anticipation and uncertainty surrounding the upcoming quarterly earnings release scheduled for Monday. Investors might be taking a cautious approach leading up to the announcement.
• The recent insider sales by the CEO and other insiders could have also contributed to the negative sentiment around the stock, as it might signal lack of confidence or concerns about the company's performance.
• Despite positive long-term projections and analyst ratings, the short-term market reaction to insider selling and upcoming earnings release could have outweighed the positive outlook, leading to the bearish movement in UPWK stock today.