Should You Invest $1,000 in Upstart Right Now?

By Neil Patel – Mar 14, 2026 at 7:15AM ESTKey PointsUpstart posted stellar revenue growth and positive net income in 2025, driven by a surge in loan originations.The company’s financial performance has been highly cyclical in the past, making this a risky investment opportunity. Upstart (UPST +2.10%) isn't hopping on the bandwagon of the latest technological wave. In fact, it was ahead of the curve, as its entire business model was built on top of its foundational artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The company leverages AI to better assess the credit risk of borrowers who might be turned away by traditional lenders. Despite having this innovative platform, the fintech stock trades 93% below its record (as of March 10). And it's down 36% just in 2026. Should you invest $1,000 in Upstart right now? Image source: Getty Images. Upstart's growth has accelerated. After posting a year-over-year revenue gain of 24% in 2024, the top line jumped 64% in 2025 to $1 billion. This was driven by an explosive 115% gain in loan originations last year. Newer lending products, like auto refinancing and home equity lines of credit, are seeing strong demand, although they're coming off small bases. Even more encouraging is the company's profitability. Net income totaled $54 million in 2025. ExpandNASDAQ: UPSTUpstartToday's Change(2.10%) $0.54Current Price$26.30Key Data PointsMarket Cap$2.6BDay's Range$25.87 - $27.0252wk Range$25.60 - $87.30Volume154KAvg Vol5.2MGross Margin97.62% But investors should proceed with extreme caution. Upstart's business has proven to be highly cyclical in the past, given that its success is dependent on unpredictable interest rates and credit market conditions that influence the activity of both borrowers on one side and institutional investors on the other side that buy these loans. This makes it almost impossible to come up with a reasonable forecast of Upstart's future financials. Investors looking to put $1,000 to work might want to steer clear of this risky stock.Read NextMar 6, 2026 •By Billy DubersteinWhy Upstart Plunged in FebruaryFeb 27, 2026 •By Matt Frankel, CFPUpstart Is Down 65% From Its 52-Week High.

Should You Buy the Stock Now?Feb 18, 2026 •By Will HealyHidden Lake Loads Up 316,000 Upstart Shares Worth $13.8 MillionFeb 17, 2026 •By Anthony Di PizioPrediction: Upstart Stock Is Going to Double by the End of 2026Feb 11, 2026 •By James BrumleyWhy Upstart Stock Is Down More Than 13% TodayFeb 4, 2026 •By Leo Sun2 Fintech Stocks Set to Rebound in 2026About the AuthorNeil Patel is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering consumer staples, consumer discretionary, financials, information technology, and communication services. Prior to The Motley Fool, Neil worked in corporate finance roles at JPMorgan Chase and Capital One. He also has experience working on a start-up in the cryptocurrency space. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in finance from Ohio State University.TMFNeilPatelStocks MentionedUpstartNASDAQ: UPST$26.30(+2.10%)+$0.54*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.