LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on LendingTree, with five buy ratings and two holds. The average 12-month price target is $61.33, well above the reported share price of $30.56.
• LendingTree’s latest quarterly results were mixed: revenue rose 25.3% year over year to $313.42 million but earnings per share of $0.68 fell short of the $1.41 consensus estimate.
• Institutional investors own 68.26% of the company, while the stock has declined substantially from its 52-week high of $77.35 and is near its $29.77 low.

Shares of LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the seven brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $61.3333.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of LendingTree in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Northland Securities set a $60.00 price objective on LendingTree in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on LendingTree from $70.00 to $58.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of LendingTree from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of LendingTree from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th.

Institutional Trading of LendingTree

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in TREE. Fifth Third Bancorp purchased a new position in shares of LendingTree in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in LendingTree during the first quarter worth $34,000. New York State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new position in LendingTree during the fourth quarter worth $54,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC bought a new position in LendingTree during the fourth quarter valued at $59,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in LendingTree by 281.0% during the second 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 last quarter. 68.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

LendingTree Stock Down 1.3%

TREE opened at $30.56 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.94. LendingTree has a 52 week low of $29.77 and a 52 week high of $77.35. The company has a market capitalization of $429.06 million, a PE ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 2.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.85, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.41 by ($0.73). The firm had revenue of $313.42 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $315.56 million. LendingTree had a return on equity of 14.57% and a net margin of 14.33%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 25.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.13 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that LendingTree will post 3.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.

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