NASDAQ$UPWK

Upwork Inc · Q2 2022 earnings

Q2 2022 earnings · · Investor relations

Briefing

Upwork's revenue increased driven by product innovation and focus on larger customers.

Upwork's Q2 2022 earnings report revealed a 26% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching $156.9 million. The company focused on product innovation, particularly in the Project Catalog™ area, and saw growth in Enterprise Revenue, which increased 45% year-over-year to $12.3 million.

  • Revenue grew 26% year-over-year to $156.9 million.
  • Enterprise Revenue increased 45% year-over-year to $12.3 million.
  • Signed a record 36 new Enterprise Clients, up 24% year-over-year.
  • Overall take rate was 15.0%, up from 14.2% in the second quarter of 2021.

Headline financials

Total Revenue

$157M

Previous: $124M+26.3%
EPS (adj)

-$0.04

Previous: $0.03-233.3%
Gross services volume

$1B

Previous: $876M+14.2%
Active clients

807.0K

No prior period
Capital Expenditures

-$602K

Previous: -$334K-80.2%
Free Cash Flow

-$24.4M

Previous: -$16.9M-44.7%
Net Income

-$23.8M

Previous: -$16.5M-44.0%
Operating Income

-$23M

Previous: -$16.4M-40.6%
Gross Profit

$116M

Previous: $91.1M+27.4%
Cash & Equivalents

$135M

Previous: $131M+3.0%
Total Assets

$1.09B

Previous: $569M+92.2%
Stock-Based Comp

$19M

Previous: $13.5M+40.2%

Revenue & EPS history

Upwork · Revenue · Quarterly

$157M

Q2 2022+26.3%vs Q2 2021
Beat estimate in 13 of 15 quarters(87%)
ActualEstimate

Revenue by segment

Upwork · $157M total across 2 segments · Q2 2022

  • Marketplace
    $144M+26.0%
  • Enterprise
    $12.3M+26.5%

Forward guidance

Upwork provided revenue guidance for Q3 2022 to be between $156 million and $158 million, representing 23% year-over-year growth. The full-year 2022 revenue guidance was increased to between $612 million and $617 million, which is 22% year-over-year growth at the midpoint.

Tailwinds

  • Increase in Ukraine-related revenue forecast in the second half of 2022
  • Strong results in the second quarter
  • Higher revenue forecast in the second half of 2022 from the changes to our pricing structure
  • Targeting being adjusted EBITDA positive on an annual basis starting in 2023
  • Aiming to increase adjusted EBITDA margin by a few hundred basis points per year as we progress toward our previously communicated long-term target of an adjusted EBITDA margin of 30%-35%

Headwinds

  • Some softening seasonal and macroeconomic trends that we observed in the second quarter
  • Lower client acquisition and retention rates, particularly in Europe and from small- and medium-sized businesses
  • Estimated $10-$15 million reduction in revenue due to the potential impact of the above-mentioned softening trends on our business in the second half of 2022
  • Third-quarter 2022 adjusted EBITDA to be a loss of between $(7) million and $(9) million
  • Full-year 2022 adjusted EBITDA guidance of a loss of between $(10) million and $(14) million

Historical earnings impact

How earnings announcements have historically affected this stock's price.

Avg. return before/after earnings

Based on 20 quarterly earnings reports · overlaid with Q2 2022

Historical avgQ2 2022

+1.3%

Avg return

Earnings day

+0.3%

Avg return

5 days after

-5.1%

Avg return

30 days after

47%

14 / 30 earnings

Positive

+48.0%

Q3 2020

Best reaction

-19.1%

Q4 2025

Worst reaction

Earnings price reactions
QuarterReport dateReaction (Day 0)+5 days+30 days
Q1 2026-2.1%-20.7%-17.2%
Q4 2025-19.1%-29.6%-36.9%
Q3 2025+13.2%+11.6%+25.3%
Q1 2025+18.0%+26.7%+13.3%
Q4 2024+6.6%+8.6%-18.9%
Q3 2024+12.9%+10.4%+17.9%
Q2 2024-13.2%-16.5%-11.9%
Q1 2024+11.0%+7.9%-9.7%
Q4 2023-0.3%-1.4%-14.1%
Q3 2023+17.3%+21.8%+21.4%
Q2 2023+43.5%+44.6%+49.3%
Q1 2023-9.2%-8.6%-0.2%
Q4 2022-10.3%-11.0%-23.8%
Q3 2022+1.4%+5.0%-8.0%
Q2 2022-14.2%-16.5%-20.8%
Q1 2022+10.0%+15.8%-3.5%
Q4 2021-6.0%-8.7%-16.7%
Q3 2021-15.5%-15.4%-35.1%
Q2 2021-10.8%-10.5%-23.8%
Q1 2021-6.5%-4.1%+3.8%
Q4 2020+3.8%+4.8%-15.5%
Q3 2020+48.0%+42.7%+63.0%
Q2 2020-10.3%-11.7%-13.0%
Q1 2020+4.3%+19.3%+40.0%
Q4 2019+5.0%+1.4%-21.9%
Q3 2019-15.9%-19.5%-26.0%
Q2 2019+10.0%-3.0%-9.0%
Q1 2019-18.6%-20.3%-30.5%
Q4 2018-6.1%-4.1%-19.9%
Q3 2018-6.9%-8.8%-11.9%
Q2 2018
Q1 2018
Q4 2017
Q3 2017
Q2 2017
Q1 2017

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