Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Pessimistic Forecast for LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) Stock Price

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) had its target price lowered by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $83.00 to $70.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price objective suggests a potential upside of 52.14% from the company’s current price.

TREE has been the topic of several other research reports. Needham & Company LLC cut their price target on LendingTree from $85.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of LendingTree in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.00.

LendingTree Trading Down 2.9%

TREE opened at $46.01 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $50.90 and its 200-day moving average is $57.37. LendingTree has a 52-week low of $32.65 and a 52-week high of $77.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $628.96 million, a P/E ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 2.21.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 2nd. The financial services provider reported ($0.39) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by ($1.29). LendingTree had a net margin of 13.55% and a return on equity of 12.44%. The firm had revenue of $310.92 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $286.56 million. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that LendingTree will post 0.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingTree

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TREE. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in LendingTree by 272.6% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 462 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 338 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in shares of LendingTree in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in shares of LendingTree in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Fifth Third Bancorp bought a new stake in shares of LendingTree during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new stake in LendingTree during the fourth quarter worth about $54,000. 68.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

LendingTree News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting LendingTree this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record revenue and stronger guidance — LendingTree reported Q4 revenue above $1 billion (up ~22%) and raised 2026 sales guidance toward ~$1.33B, which investors view as a major growth signal. LendingTree’s revenue soars past $1 billion, fueled by AI adoption
• Positive Sentiment: AI narrative driving forward guidance and investor enthusiasm — management highlighted AI adoption as a durable revenue driver on the earnings call, underpinning upside expectations. LendingTree Inc. Earnings Call Highlights AI‑Fueled Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual call buying signals speculative bullish flow — unusually heavy options activity (9,537 calls, ~2,564% above average) indicates traders are placing aggressive bullish bets, which can amplify intraday moves. (Market data entry)
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment remains constructive — the stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” from analysts, supporting potential upside if revenue execution continues. LendingTree Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy”
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory stance — LendingTree publicly supports the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (Trigger Leads Bill). That reduces certain lead practices but the company says it preserves competition; impact is structural and likely neutral-to-mixed near term. LendingTree Supports Implementation of Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act
• Neutral Sentiment: Local and trade coverage amplifies the AI/revenue story but offers limited incremental financial detail. LendingTree’s $1.12 Billion Hot Streak Supercharges South End Comeback
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS miss and swing to a loss — while revenue beat, the company reported negative EPS for the quarter (miss vs. consensus), which raises near‑term profitability concerns and likely pressured intraday sentiment. TREE Lags Q4 Earnings Estimates, Stock Up 23.9% on Revenue Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target trimmed — Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut its price target from $83 to $70 (still an outperform rating), a modest negative as it reduces upside expectations from some institutional models. Benzinga coverage of KBW price target change

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.