Operating cash flow of negative $19.8M in 2026Q3 versus net income of $36.6M, combined with a single $100.1M buyback in 2026Q1 and no dividends, suggests cash generation and capital return remain episodic rather than steady.
Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) cash flow statement — 8-year operating, investing & financing cash flows
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | -181.13M | -147.72M | 186.33M | -111.71M | -657.86M | 168.35M | 15.7M | 31.58M | 50.34M |
| Operating CF Growth % | -620.36% | -179.28% | 266.8% | 83.02% | -490.76% | 972.52% | -50.3% | -37.26% | - |
| Net Income | 65.11M | 53.6M | -128.58M | -240.13M | -108.67M | 135.44M | 5.58M | -5.02M | -11.22M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 25.56M | 24.84M | 20.55M | 24.9M | 13.51M | 7.54M | 2.28M | 774K | 314K |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.05M | 0 | 42.28M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 30.7M | -384.75M | 126.34M | -51.81M | -683.61M | -103.06M | -50.98M | 31.99M | 2.98M |
| Working Capital Changes | -454.19M | 26.64M | 34.63M | -19.71M | -5.04M | 55.24M | 18.25M | 33K | 13.93M |
| Cash from Investing | 343.88M | -177.17M | -237.73M | -118.45M | -114.13M | -143.88M | 136.52M | 45.43M | -137.24M |
| Purchase of Investments | -259.97M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -6.25M | -40M | -9.65M | 0 | -421.12M |
| Sale/Maturity of Investments | 381.17M | 0 | 11.93M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 97.34M | 8.76M | 1.23M |
| Net Investment Activity | 121.2M | 0 | 11.93M | 0 | -6.25M | -40M | 87.69M | 8.76M | -419.89M |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | 11.93M | 0 | 0 | -16.76M | -87.69M | 0 | 8.91M |
| Other Investing | 233.08M | -176.82M | -260.75M | -116.93M | -99.05M | -78.69M | 142.12M | 40.68M | -137.42M |
| Cash from Financing | 128.81M | 405.64M | 559.87M | 165.49M | 113.21M | 855.43M | 79.05M | -119.19M | 135.77M |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -100.06M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -177.88M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stock Issued | 13.5M | 25.3M | 29.08M | 21.3M | 20.02M | 263.93M | 159.49M | 0 | 292.7M |
| Net Stock Activity | -86.55M | 25.3M | 29.08M | 21.3M | -157.87M | 263.93M | 159.49M | 0 | 292.7M |
| Debt Issuance (Net) | 2M | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 1000K |
| Other Financing | 65.36M | -10.3M | -31.86M | -48.78M | -16.84M | -55.6M | 1.75M | -4.48M | -2M |
| Net Change in Cash | 291.56M | 80.75M | 508.48M | -64.68M | -658.77M | 879.91M | 231.27M | -42.17M | 48.87M |
| Exchange Rate Effect | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash at Beginning | 982.28M | 976.26M | 467.79M | 532.47M | 1.19B | 311.33M | 80.07M | 122.24M | 73.38M |
| Cash at End | 1.13B | 1.06B | 976.26M | 467.79M | 532.47M | 1.19B | 311.33M | 80.07M | 122.24M |
| Interest Paid | 8.97M | 43.48M | 43.12M | 36.55M | 12.47M | 3.27M | 0 | 26.87M | 0 |
| Income Taxes Paid | 18K | 590K | 258K | 0 | 328K | 2.3M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Free Cash Flow | -195.29M | -166.13M | 176.34M | -123.8M | -680.77M | 153.24M | 10.09M | 26.3M | 49.29M |
| FCF Growth % | 49.29% | -194.21% | 242.44% | 81.82% | -544.26% | 1418.41% | -61.63% | -46.64% | - |
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying UPST stock.
Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) generated $-147.7M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) reported negative free cash flow of $166.1M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) spent $0.3M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
Key Metrics
Top Statement Risk
Volatile operating cash flow swings
Metrics are mathematically derived from official filings.
Earnings Not Converting to Operating Cash
Based on Upstart's reported figures, operating cash flow of negative $19.8M in 2026Q3 diverged sharply from net income of $36.6M, a gap that suggests reported earnings are not yet translating into internally generated capital.
The quarterly OCF/NI ratio has swung between large positive and negative values over the ten quarters shown, which makes the conversion of earnings into cash difficult to read with confidence. Net income turned negative in 2026Q1 at negative $6.6M while operating cash flow was negative $133.3M, indicating that working capital and loan-related movements, rather than earnings, dominate the cash result. Investors should monitor whether organic capital generation can fund the balance sheet growth implied by these movements.
Large Investment Turnover in 2026Q3
As reported in financial statements, Upstart recorded $260.0M of investment purchases against $381.2M of sales in 2026Q3, a net inflow that may reflect portfolio rebalancing or liquidity management.
Investment activity was absent in most other reported quarters, so the 2026Q3 turnover appears to be an isolated event rather than a steady portfolio program. The net inflow of roughly $121M in that quarter may indicate maturities or sales used to meet other funding needs, though the data alone does not establish the purpose. Further investigation of the securities portfolio composition would be needed to assess reinvestment rates.
Buybacks Limited to a Single Quarter
Based on Upstart's reported figures, share repurchases of $100.1M occurred only in 2026Q1, with no dividends paid across the ten quarters, suggesting capital return has been episodic rather than a steady policy.
The 2026Q1 buyback coincided with a net loss of $6.6M and negative operating cash flow of $133.3M, which raises questions about how the repurchase was funded relative to internally generated capital. The absence of any dividend payments is consistent with a company retaining capital, though the data does not reveal management's stated intent. Investors should monitor whether repurchases recur when cash generation remains volatile.
Fee-Driven Earnings Mask Cash Volatility
According to recent SEC filings, Upstart's reported net income of $36.6M in 2026Q3 rests on fee income of $383.4M while net interest income turned negative, a combination that may not persist if fee volumes normalize.
The prior income statement findings indicate that fee income now accounts for roughly 103.5% of total revenue, which means the earnings base is concentrated in a line that the cash flow statement shows to be volatile. Operating cash flow has been negative in most recent quarters despite several quarters of positive net income, which suggests the reported profit may not translate into durable cash. Investors should monitor fee volume trends and whether operating cash flow recovers alongside earnings.