Aaron’s (NYSE:PRG) Reaches New 12-Month High on Strong Earnings

Aaron’s Holdings Company, Inc. (NYSE:PRG)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $41.04 and last traded at $40.65, with a volume of 283530 shares. The stock had previously closed at $36.12.

The company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.14. Aaron’s had a net margin of 5.97% and a return on equity of 20.99%. The company had revenue of $525.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $581.82 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.80 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Aaron’s has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.900 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.000-4.450 EPS.

Key Headlines Impacting Aaron’s

Here are the key news stories impacting Aaron’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY‑2026 and Q1 guidance well above Street estimates — FY EPS guide of $4.00–$4.45 vs. consensus ~$3.55 and FY revenue $3.0–$3.1B vs. ~$2.7B — signaling stronger expected cash flow and margin progress. See the company release. Business Wire PR
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS of $0.74 topped analyst estimates (~$0.60), showing profitability held up despite retail softness; EPS beat likely reinforced confidence in the raised guidance. (Coverage summary). Zacks: Q4 Earnings Top Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Management hosted a full earnings presentation and call with slides/transcript that provide detail on product performance (Progressive Leasing, Purchasing Power, Four Technologies, MoneyApp) and the assumptions behind guidance; investors will dig into the transcript for credit metrics and unit economics. Earnings Presentation Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 revenue of $525.4M missed expectations (~$581.8M) and was down ~5% year‑over‑year, underscoring demand pressure in the retail environment and raising execution questions that investors will watch in future quarters. Press Materials (slides)
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS was lower than a year ago ($0.80 → $0.74), reflecting near-term pressure; the stock move depends on investors’ confidence that raised guidance is achievable given recent revenue trends. Business Wire PR

Analyst Ratings Changes

PRG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Aaron’s in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Aaron’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Aaron’s from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. BTIG Research upgraded Aaron’s from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $31.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Finally, B. Riley Financial began coverage on Aaron’s in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $50.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $38.83.

Institutional Trading of Aaron’s

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Aaron’s by 142.5% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 62,609 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,926,000 after buying an additional 36,788 shares during the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aaron’s in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,312,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its stake in Aaron’s by 18.9% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 1,187,509 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,428,000 after purchasing an additional 188,835 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in Aaron’s by 503.6% during the 2nd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 109,597 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,217,000 after purchasing an additional 91,439 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its stake in shares of Aaron’s by 419.7% in the third quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 40,363 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,306,000 after purchasing an additional 32,597 shares during the last quarter. 97.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Aaron’s Trading Up 12.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 2.65, a current ratio of 4.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $32.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.60 billion, a PE ratio of 11.26 and a beta of 1.73.

About Aaron’s

PROG Holdings, Inc (NYSE: PRG), formerly known as Aaron’s, is a North American provider of lease-to-own and consumer finance solutions. The company operates through two primary segments: Aaron’s Business Solutions and Progressive Financial Services. Through Aaron’s Business Solutions, PROG offers customers access to furniture, electronics, home appliances and technology products via lease ownership arrangements, serving both individual consumers and small businesses.

The Progressive Financial Services segment provides lease-purchase and retail point-of-sale financing programs to customers with limited credit histories.