TREE vs UPST

For growth investors, Upstart Holdings, Inc.

(UPST) is the stronger pick with 58. 9% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 24. 1% for LendingTree, Inc. (TREE). LendingTree, Inc. (TREE) offers the better valuation at 3. 8x trailing P/E (7. 2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate LendingTree, Inc. (TREE) a "Buy" — based on 23 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, LendingTree, Inc.

(TREE) is the cheapest at 3. 8x versus Upstart Holdings, Inc. at 69. 3x. On forward P/E, LendingTree, Inc. is actually cheaper at 7. 2x.

Over the past 5 years, Upstart Holdings, Inc.

(UPST) delivered a total return of -68. 3%, compared to -79. 0% for LendingTree, Inc. (TREE). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UPST returned +5. 8% versus TREE's -48. 9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), LendingTree, Inc.

(TREE) is the lower-risk stock at 1. 55β versus Upstart Holdings, Inc. 's 2. 96β — meaning UPST is approximately 91% more volatile than TREE relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, LendingTree, Inc. (TREE) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 152% versus 2% for Upstart Holdings, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Upstart Holdings, Inc.

(UPST) is pulling ahead at 58. 9% versus 24. 1% for LendingTree, Inc. (TREE). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: LendingTree, Inc. grew EPS 443. 3% year-over-year, compared to 131. 3% for Upstart Holdings, Inc.. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

LendingTree, Inc.

(TREE) is the more profitable company, earning 13. 5% net margin versus 5. 0% for Upstart Holdings, Inc. — meaning it keeps 13. 5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: TREE leads at 7. 3% versus 5. 1% for UPST. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UPST leads at 95. 2%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, LendingTree, Inc.

(TREE) trades at 7. 2x forward P/E versus 15. 8x for Upstart Holdings, Inc. — 8. 5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for TREE: 69. 9% to $69. 00.

None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend.

All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, LendingTree, Inc.

(TREE) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding. Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) carries a higher beta of 2. 96 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (TREE: -48. 9%, UPST: +5. 8%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.