LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) shares gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $55.74, but opened at $58.90. LendingTree shares last traded at $62.4620, with a volume of 124,953 shares.

More LendingTree News

Here are the key news stories impacting LendingTree this week:

• Positive Sentiment: LendingTree promoted Ian Smith to Chief Operating Officer and named Laura Nelson Head of Insurance — a management move investors view as strengthening operations and accelerating its insurance strategy, which could lift revenue diversification and execution. LendingTree Announces Promotion of Ian Smith to Chief Operating Officer and Laura Nelson to Head of Insurance
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage explaining the recent rally notes fundamental and sentiment catalysts behind the sharp move higher, helping attract momentum buyers and retail attention. Why LendingTree, Inc.’s (TREE) Stock Is Up 12.67%
• Positive Sentiment: Technical signal: shares crossed above the 200‑day moving average, often a trigger for trend-following funds and institutional buying. Traders interpret this as a confirmation of upside momentum. LendingTree Share Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average — Here’s What Happened
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry/strategy pieces highlight LendingTree’s technology-led marketplace positioning; useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Investors should monitor execution and adoption metrics. LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) Nasdaq Futures Technology-Led Lending
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analysis vs. peers (e.g., NerdWallet) raises strategic questions about growth mix and affiliate models; useful for longer-term positioning rather than immediate price action. NerdWallet vs. LendingTree: Which Digital Finance Platform to Bet On?
• Negative Sentiment: Critical coverage points out three risks to TREE—competition, margin sensitivity to rates, and execution risks—which could limit multiple expansion if concerns persist. Traders should watch whether short sellers or cautious analysts amplify these views. 3 reasons TREE is risky and 1 stock to buy instead

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on TREE shares. Zacks Research cut LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on LendingTree from $62.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on shares of LendingTree from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of LendingTree from $66.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of LendingTree in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.29.

LendingTree Trading Up 12.9%

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $54.00 and a 200 day moving average of $56.14. The firm has a market cap of $859.98 million, a PE ratio of 62.29 and a beta of 2.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.93.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $290.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $278.36 million. LendingTree had a return on equity of 36.30% and a net margin of 1.34%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.80 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that LendingTree, Inc. will post 0.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingTree

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of LendingTree by 272.6% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 462 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 338 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in LendingTree in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in LendingTree by 281.0% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,120 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 826 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in LendingTree by 25.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,141 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the period. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LendingTree during the third quarter worth $95,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.26% of the company’s stock.

LendingTree Company Profile

LendingTree, Inc operates an online marketplace that connects consumers with a network of lenders and financial service providers. Through its platform, borrowers can compare loan offers for mortgages, home equity loans, personal loans, student loans, auto loans and small business financing. The company also offers tools for comparing credit cards and deposit accounts, allowing users to research rates and terms from a range of providers in one place.

Founded in 1996 by Doug Lebda, LendingTree pioneered the comparison-shopping model for consumer credit products.