Rent-A-Center, Inc. (RCII) Q1 2026 Earnings Report

Rent-A-Center, Inc. (as part of the Upbound Group) posted a solid QQ1 2026 start, delivering revenue of $1.22 billion, up 3.7% year over year, and adjusted EBITDA of $136 million, up about 8% from the prior year. Management attributes the quarterly strength to disciplined execution across Brigit, Acima and Rent-A-Center, ongoing cash generation, and deleveraging of the balance sheet to 2.6x trailing-twelve-month EBITDA. The period featured a diversified mix of growth initiatives, including Brigit’s scale-up in paying users and ARPU, Acima’s portfolio-strength actions and loss-leaning underwriting, and Rent-A-Center’s ongoing emphasis on digital enhancements and a new Amazon partnership designed to bolster store traffic and customer acquisition. Cash generation remained robust with net operating cash flow of $171 million and free cash flow of $136 million, underscoring capital allocation discipline (dividends, capex, deleveraging). Management maintains a constructive long-term outlook, guided by a 2026 revenue range of $4.7–$4.95 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $500–$535 million, and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $4.00–$4.35, with ~$200 million of free cash flow expected for the year. The company reiterated second-quarter guidance (Q2 2026): revenue of $1.1–$1.2 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $120–$130 million, and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.00–$1.10, reflecting typical seasonality and underwriting discipline. Investors should monitor GMV trajectory in Acima, Brigit’s product rollout cadence, Rent-A-Center’s store-level execution, the impact of the Amazon collaboration on store traffic, and evolving macro headwinds impacting the non-prime consumer.