Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Thursday morning.

MTCH has been the topic of several other research reports. Hsbc Global Res lowered Match Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Match Group from $32.00 to $31.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $33.00 price objective (down from $40.00) on shares of Match Group in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. BTIG Research lowered shares of Match Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, HSBC downgraded shares of Match Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $37.58.

Match Group Price Performance

NASDAQ MTCH opened at $29.02 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $31.08 and its 200-day moving average is $32.92. Match Group has a one year low of $26.39 and a one year high of $38.84. The firm has a market cap of $7.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.49.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The technology company reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by ($0.22). Match Group had a net margin of 15.84% and a negative return on equity of 574.22%. Equities analysts anticipate that Match Group will post 2.44 EPS for the current year.

Match Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.62%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 3rd. Match Group’s payout ratio is presently 37.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Match Group

In other news, President Gary Swidler sold 242,209 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $7,958,987.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 1,690 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $55,533.40. The trade was a 99.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.77% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Metis Global Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Match Group by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 10,956 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $358,000 after purchasing an additional 318 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in Match Group by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 15,889 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $520,000 after buying an additional 349 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 14.2% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 3,035 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $99,000 after buying an additional 378 shares during the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. increased its holdings in shares of Match Group by 3.9% during the first quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 10,290 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $321,000 after buying an additional 388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board lifted its stake in shares of Match Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 23,149 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $757,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.05% of the company’s stock.

Match Group Company Profile

Match Group, Inc engages in the provision of dating products. Its portfolio of brands includes Tinder, Hinge, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Pairs, Plenty Of Fish, Azar, BLK, and Hakuna, as well as a various other brands, each built to increase users' likelihood of connecting with others. Its services are available in over 40 languages to users worldwide.