LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $74.00.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on TREE. Zacks Research cut shares of LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of LendingTree in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price target on LendingTree from $85.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Wall Street Zen cut LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, March 15th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on LendingTree from $83.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 4th.

LendingTree Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:TREE opened at $41.72 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. LendingTree has a 1-year low of $32.65 and a 1-year high of $77.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $578.24 million, a P/E ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 2.21. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $45.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $54.32.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingTree

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TREE. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its position in shares of LendingTree by 49.8% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 14,113 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $750,000 after acquiring an additional 4,689 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new position in LendingTree during the 4th quarter worth approximately $659,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in LendingTree by 861.5% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,750 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $199,000 after purchasing an additional 3,360 shares during the period. VARCOV Co. bought a new stake in LendingTree in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $544,000. Finally, Man Group plc bought a new stake in LendingTree in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,029,000. 68.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About LendingTree

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.