Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) vs Forge Global Holdings, Inc. (FRGE) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | FRGE | 13.6% revenue growth vs UPBD's 8.2% |
| Quality / Margins | UPBD | 1.8% net margin vs FRGE's -67.4% |
| Stability / Safety | FRGE | Beta 0.56 vs UPBD's 1.28, lower leverage |
| Dividends | UPBD | 6.9% yield; FRGE pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | FRGE | +200.0% vs UPBD's -10.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | UPBD | 2.6% ROA vs FRGE's -24.8%, ROIC 10.4% vs -45.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Upbound Group operates an omni-channel lease-to-own platform for household durable goods like furniture, electronics, and appliances. It generates revenue primarily through lease-to-own agreements — with its Rent-A-Center and Acima segments driving most of its business — plus franchise fees and installment sales. The company's competitive advantage lies in its dual-channel approach combining physical stores with virtual platforms, serving credit-constrained customers that traditional retailers often overlook.
Forge Global operates a marketplace and technology platform for trading private company shares. It generates revenue primarily through transaction fees from secondary market trades in private securities — supplemented by data subscriptions and technology services for market participants. The company's key advantage is its established network effect and proprietary technology infrastructure that connects private companies, shareholders, and accredited investors in a traditionally illiquid market.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
UPBD leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). FRGE leads in 1 (Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
UPBD is the larger business by revenue, generating $4.6B annually — 49.3x FRGE's $93M. UPBD is the more profitable business, keeping 1.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to FRGE's -67.4%.
| Metric | UPBDUpbound Group, In… | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $4.6B | $93M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $981M | -$64M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $84M | -$63M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $197M | -$40M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.9% | +11.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +5.4% | -73.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +1.8% | -67.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +4.3% | -43.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.0% | +10.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -60.0% | +8.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | UPBDUpbound Group, In… | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.2B | $8.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.8B | $8.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 9.71x | -8.29x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 5.11x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 8.07x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.29x | 105.74x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.91x | 2.42x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 25.64x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
UPBD delivers a 12.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $12 in annual profit, vs $-30 for FRGE. FRGE carries lower financial leverage with a 0.06x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to UPBD's 2.52x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), UPBD scores 5/9 vs FRGE's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | UPBDUpbound Group, In… | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +12.3% | -30.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +2.6% | -24.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +10.4% | -45.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +13.7% | -31.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 2.52x | 0.06x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.5B | -$91M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $61M | $105M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.6B | $15M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 2.20x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in UPBD five years ago would be worth $4,789 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,927 for FRGE. Over the past 12 months, FRGE leads with a +200.0% total return vs UPBD's -10.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors FRGE at 18.6% vs UPBD's -1.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | UPBDUpbound Group, In… | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +23.6% | +1.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -10.9% | +200.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -3.5% | +66.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -52.1% | -70.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +140.6% | -70.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -1.2% | +18.6% |
Risk & Volatility
FRGE is the less volatile stock with a 0.56 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than UPBD's 1.28 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. FRGE currently trades 99.9% from its 52-week high vs UPBD's 76.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | UPBDUpbound Group, In… | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.28x | 0.56x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $28.03 | $45.03 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $15.82 | $6.60 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +76.5% | +99.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 62.0 | 64.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 587K | 146K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates UPBD as "Buy" and FRGE as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 84.9% upside for UPBD (target: $40) vs 0.0% for FRGE (target: $45). UPBD is the only dividend payer here at 6.86% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | UPBDUpbound Group, In… | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $39.67 | $45.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 20 | 5 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +6.9% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $1.47 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) | 100 | 44.23 | -55.8% |
| Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) | 100 | 28.88 | -71.1% |
Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) returned -52% over 5 years vs Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE)'s -71%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) | $3.3B | $4.3B | +31.8% |
| Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) | $24M | $79M | +229.9% |
Upbound Group, Inc.'s revenue grew from $3.3B (2015) to $4.3B (2024) — a 3.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) | -26.4% | 2.9% | +110.8% |
| Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) | -63.4% | -83.6% | -32.0% |
Upbound Group, Inc.'s net margin went from -26% (2015) to 3% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) | 92.5 | 13.2 | -85.7% |
Upbound Group, Inc. has traded in a 9x–107x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~10x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) | -16.34 | 2.21 | +113.5% |
| Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) | -4.42 | -5.43 | -22.9% |
Upbound Group, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-16.34 (2015) to $2.21 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Upbound Group, Inc. generated $48M FCF in 2024 (-85% vs 2021). Forge Global Holdings, Inc. generated $-41M FCF in 2024 (-641% vs 2021).
UPBD vs FRGE: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is UPBD or FRGE a better buy right now?
Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) offers the better valuation at 9.7x trailing P/E (5.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) a "Buy" — based on 20 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.
02Which is the better long-term investment — UPBD or FRGE?
Over the past 5 years, Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) delivered a total return of -52.1%, compared to -70.7% for Forge Global Holdings, Inc. (FRGE). A $10,000 investment in UPBD five years ago would be worth approximately $5K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UPBD returned +140.6% versus FRGE's -70.9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — UPBD or FRGE?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Forge Global Holdings, Inc. (FRGE) is the lower-risk stock at 0.56β versus Upbound Group, Inc.'s 1.28β — meaning UPBD is approximately 130% more volatile than FRGE relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Forge Global Holdings, Inc. (FRGE) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 6% versus 3% for Upbound Group, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — UPBD or FRGE?
Upbound Group, Inc. (UPBD) is the more profitable company, earning 2.9% net margin versus -83.6% for Forge Global Holdings, Inc. — meaning it keeps 2.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: UPBD leads at 6.7% versus -103.7% for FRGE. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UPBD leads at 48.1%, 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.
05Is UPBD or FRGE more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for UPBD: 84.9% to $39.67.
06Which pays a better dividend — UPBD or FRGE?
In this comparison, UPBD (6.9% yield) pays a dividend. FRGE does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is UPBD or FRGE better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Forge Global Holdings, Inc. (FRGE) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.56)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (FRGE: -70.9%, UPBD: +140.6%), 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.
08What are the main differences between UPBD and FRGE?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: UPBD is a small-cap deep-value stock; FRGE is a small-cap quality compounder stock. UPBD pays a dividend while FRGE does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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.
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