$100 Million Buyback in Upwork Stock Follows a Strong Quarter
Buying back company stock is a highly effective way for businesses to reward their shareholders. Many people don't realize that it's also the most tax-efficient option compared to other common approaches, such as paying dividends. Unlike dividends, buybacks aren’t taxed twice. Plus, they keep capital in the business, allowing for further investment in growth opportunities and other key drivers.
That being said, investors should be interested in the reasons why management at Upwork Inc. (NASDAQ: UPWK) has recently decided to approve a $100 million stock buyback program, signaling one of two things, and maybe even both. The first message investors can take from this is that the quoted stock price may be well below the company’s true intrinsic value, and the second is that insiders themselves expect further upside.
Even as the stock now trades at 93% of its 52-week high, there are plenty of reasons to believe that more upside lies ahead for this technology stock. Understanding this cycle can be a lot easier once investors position themselves along with the macro data in the United States economy, specifically where labor trends are today and where they are set to go in the coming months ahead.
An Employment Swing Factors Further Upside in Upwork
A recent revision by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) just wiped out a record number of jobs in the economy, lowering the total by 911,000. With this in mind, the unemployment rate for the United States, currently at 4.3%, leaves room for a new wave of employment to emerge in the broader economy.
Investors should also keep in mind that the Federal Reserve is also set to cut interest rates in September 2025 unless a last-minute change of mind takes place. With a rate cut, businesses will resume expansion and investment plans, which typically come attached to increases in headcount.
That’s where Upwork might be pricing in bullish momentum, but factoring in future employment growth is harder, so more upside is possible. Recent financial results show these tailwinds at work.
Upwork Fires on All Cylinders
Beginning at the top line, Upwork reported a record second quarter in its latest press release, achieving $194.9 million in net revenue. Here is the critical part about this revenue and what could drive it higher, as it all comes down to the number of connections Upwork can make between businesses and labor opportunities.
With 796,000 active clients, Upwork’s network is large enough to accommodate the headcount these clients will need during the United States' employment rebound; however, this pie is about to get even bigger. As Upwork recently acquired Bubty and Ascen, management reports a key factor that should bring the stock to new highs.
These new acquisitions will tap the company into a $650 billion total addressable market (TAM) opportunity. With this platform being among the leaders in the space, chances are a good percentage of this total TAM will be eaten up by this name.
This explains why management also raised its guidance figures for the rest of 2025, creating even more upside that has yet to be priced into today’s stock price. In terms of net results, speaking to efficiency and compounding potential, here’s where one of the most important financial metrics for any business comes into play.
Free cash flow surged to $65.6 million this quarter, marking a substantial rise from last year’s $35.5 million. Free cash flow is crucial because it’s what enables businesses to reinvest in growth, including acquisitions, and prioritize debt repayment to benefit shareholders.
Some of this free cash flow, accumulated over the year, has been set aside for this $100 million buyback program, and here is exactly how that amount of capital will start to accelerate in the coming months and years for existing and new shareholders.
With a return on invested capital rate of 24.9% over the past 12 months, that is the compounding rate this business can achieve on its operations, and what the $100 million will be compounded at over the years. Of course, this means a higher enterprise value, which is why today’s price is very cheap compared to its future potential size.
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