LendingClub (NYSE:LC) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

LendingClub (NYSE:LC) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $23.00 target price on shares of LendingClub in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on LendingClub from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on LendingClub from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of LendingClub in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Citizens Jmp upgraded shares of LendingClub from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $23.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, November 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.00.

LendingClub Stock Up 8.0%

Shares of NYSE:LC opened at $16.95 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.36. LendingClub has a 52 week low of $7.90 and a 52 week high of $21.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.74 and a beta of 2.08.

LendingClub (NYSE:LC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The credit services provider reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.01. LendingClub had a return on equity of 9.62% and a net margin of 13.58%.The firm had revenue of $266.47 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $262.88 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.08 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. LendingClub has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.800 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.340-0.390 EPS. On average, analysts expect that LendingClub will post 0.72 earnings per share for the current year.

LendingClub announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, November 5th that allows the company to buyback $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the credit services provider to purchase up to 4.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Erin Selleck sold 2,390 shares of LendingClub stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.47, for a total value of $46,533.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 76,377 shares in the company, valued at $1,487,060.19. The trade was a 3.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of LendingClub

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of LendingClub in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in LendingClub during the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Quarry LP boosted its position in LendingClub by 343.0% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,030 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 2,346 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in LendingClub in the 2nd quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of LendingClub by 1,435.4% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 3,040 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 2,842 shares during the last quarter. 74.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About LendingClub

LendingClub Corporation operates an online lending marketplace that connects borrowers seeking personal and small business credit with individual and institutional investors. The platform leverages technology to streamline the loan application and underwriting process, offering unsecured personal loans, auto refinancing, and small business loans. In addition to lending products, LendingClub provides high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its banking charter, following its acquisition of Radius Bank in 2021.

Founded in 2006 by Renaud Laplanche, LendingClub pioneered peer-to-peer lending in the United States, helping to democratize access to credit and investment opportunities.