LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $74.2857.

Several equities analysts recently commented on TREE shares. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on LendingTree from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of LendingTree in a report on Monday, December 29th. Oppenheimer set a $85.00 target price on LendingTree and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Zacks Research downgraded LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of LendingTree from $62.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd.

LendingTree Stock Down 6.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:TREE opened at $58.82 on Tuesday. LendingTree has a fifty-two week low of $33.50 and a fifty-two week high of $77.35. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $53.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $56.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.93. The stock has a market cap of $804.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.24 and a beta of 2.08.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.47. LendingTree had a net margin of 1.34% and a return on equity of 36.30%. The company had revenue of $290.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $278.36 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.80 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 18.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that LendingTree will post 0.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LendingTree

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in LendingTree by 1,747.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 546,536 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $20,260,000 after purchasing an additional 516,958 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in LendingTree by 1,163.1% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 263,835 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $17,078,000 after purchasing an additional 242,947 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in LendingTree in the second quarter valued at $7,337,000. G2 Investment Partners Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 69.0% in the second quarter. G2 Investment Partners Management LLC now owns 305,573 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,328,000 after buying an additional 124,806 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP acquired a new stake in shares of LendingTree during the third quarter worth about $6,153,000. 68.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.