Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) Price Target Raised to $45.00

Key Points

• Citigroup raised Match Group’s price target to $45 from $39 while maintaining a Neutral rating, implying 16.17% upside. The analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $45.64.
• Match Group’s latest results were mixed: quarterly EPS of $0.73 beat estimates, but revenue of $891.2 million declined 2.5% year over year. Shares fell 7.9% to $38.73 during Tuesday trading.
• Investors remain focused on Tinder’s recovery and monetization. Tinder user trends improved and Hinge posted growth, but weaker payer metrics, margin pressures and continued insider selling remain concerns.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by analysts at Citigroup from $39.00 to $45.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the technology company's stock. Citigroup's target price points to a potential upside of 16.17% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on MTCH. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Match Group from $39.00 to $38.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays upped their price objective on Match Group from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Match Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 price target on Match Group in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Match Group from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Match Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $45.64.

Match Group Stock Down 7.9%

Shares of Match Group stock traded down $3.33 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $38.73. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,900,927 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,993,075. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $42.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.54. The company has a market cap of $8.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.43. Match Group has a 1-year low of $28.81 and a 1-year high of $46.67.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The technology company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.02. Match Group had a net margin of 20.17% and a negative return on equity of 324.82%. The business had revenue of $891.23 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $892.45 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.62 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Match Group will post 3.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Match Group news, Director Ann Mcdaniel sold 3,531 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.43, for a total transaction of $149,820.33. Following the transaction, the director owned 26,839 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,138,778.77. This represents a 11.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Stephen Bailey sold 4,760 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.26, for a total value of $201,157.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $496,216.92. The trade was a 28.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 23,291 shares of company stock valued at $976,478. Insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Match Group

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Match Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $77,859,000. PointState Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Match Group during the second quarter worth $41,754,000. Man Group plc acquired a new position in shares of Match Group in the second quarter worth about $23,631,000. Redwood Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Match Group in the second quarter worth $2,275,000. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in shares of Match Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,910,000. 94.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Match Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Match Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tinder’s turnaround showed progress. Tinder’s U.S. daily active users returned to year-over-year growth in October, while Hinge delivered double-digit growth in users, revenue and payers. These developments support management’s efforts to improve user experience and reaccelerate growth. Tinder’s US daily active users return to growth in October as Match ramps up AI efforts
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts raised their price targets. Barclays increased its target to $52 and retained an Overweight rating, while Truist lifted its target to $44 and UBS raised its target to $43. The revisions suggest some analysts see upside if Tinder’s stabilization develops into sustained monetization and profit growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Third-quarter results were mixed. Adjusted earnings per share of $0.73 modestly exceeded the $0.71 consensus, while revenue of $891.2 million was broadly in line with estimates. However, revenue declined 2.5% year over year, and key payer metrics weakened. Match Group Announces Third Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Fourth-quarter guidance was close to expectations. Match Group forecast revenue of $865 million to $875 million, implying results could be down 1% to flat year over year and bracketing the $871.3 million consensus estimate. The outlook does not indicate a near-term acceleration, but it also avoids a major forecast cut. Match Group sees Q4 revenue down 1% to flat at $865M-$875M
• Negative Sentiment: Monetization and margins remain concerns. Management outlined an approximately one-percentage-point margin headwind for 2027 related to app-store fees, while analysts noted that Tinder’s recovery has not yet translated into proven payer growth or stronger profitability. Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan maintained Hold ratings, and Wells Fargo lowered its target to $38 with an Equal Weight rating.

About Match Group

Match Group, Inc is a global provider of online dating and social discovery services. The company operates a portfolio of dating applications and websites designed to help people form relationships, including Tinder, Hinge, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, BLK, Chispa and The League.

Its platforms serve users across a broad range of geographies and relationship preferences. Match Group generates revenue primarily through paid subscriptions, premium features, à la carte purchases and advertising.

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