Jennison Associates LLC Purchases New Holdings in LendingTree, Inc. $TREE

Key Points

• Jennison Associates LLC bought 586,173 shares of LendingTree in the fourth quarter (≈$31.12M), giving it roughly a 4.29% stake in the company.
• LendingTree reported strong Q1 results including record revenue of $327.3M, GAAP net income of $17.3M and adjusted EBITDA of $42.0M, and raised its full‑year 2026 outlook, though differences between GAAP and adjusted EPS created mixed messaging.
• Despite upbeat results and multiple Buy/Outperform ratings, the stock slid about 21.7% to open near $38.81, well below the average analyst price target of $68.60, and roughly 68.26% of shares are held by institutional investors.

Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new stake in LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 586,173 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $31,120,000. Jennison Associates LLC owned approximately 4.29% of LendingTree at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of TREE. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in LendingTree by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 23,598 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,188,000 after buying an additional 1,222 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in LendingTree by 43.6% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,039 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $595,000 after buying an additional 4,871 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in LendingTree by 12.7% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 10,840 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $402,000 after buying an additional 1,223 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in LendingTree by 12.6% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 16,754 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $621,000 after purchasing an additional 1,875 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in LendingTree by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 26,010 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $964,000 after purchasing an additional 2,217 shares in the last quarter. 68.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

LendingTree News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting LendingTree this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks reports TREE’s Q1 results beat estimates, adjusted EBITDA jumped and the company raised its full‑year 2026 outlook — a key driver of the stock’s intraday strength. LendingTree Q1 Earnings Top Estimates, Stock Up, 2026 Outlook Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Company press release: record quarterly revenue of $327.3M, GAAP net income of $17.3M ($1.22/sh), and adjusted EBITDA of $42.0M — strong top‑line growth (yr/yr) underpinning the upbeat outlook. LENDINGTREE REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2026 RESULTS
• Positive Sentiment: Needham reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $60 price target, signaling analyst confidence and giving the stock notable upside potential. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: The company provided Q2 revenue guidance of roughly $305M–$325M and FY2026 revenue guidance of $1.3B–$1.4B (around street estimates), so guidance is not materially out of line but leaves room for upside/downside within the range.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors can read the full Q1 earnings call transcript for color on product performance, marketing, and margin dynamics. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets reported a headline EPS miss (MarketBeat: $1.38 vs. $1.49 consensus), reflecting differences between GAAP and adjusted figures — this mixed messaging likely contributed to selling pressure and intraday volatility. MarketBeat Earnings Summary

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on TREE shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of LendingTree from $83.00 to $70.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Truist Financial set a $78.00 target price on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of LendingTree from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $68.60.

LendingTree Stock Down 21.7%

Shares of NASDAQ TREE opened at $38.81 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $42.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $50.63. The company has a market capitalization of $541.52 million, a P/E ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 2.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.67. LendingTree, Inc. has a 1 year low of $32.65 and a 1 year high of $77.35.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $319.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $321.33 million. LendingTree had a return on equity of 19.99% and a net margin of 15.02%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 36.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that LendingTree, Inc. will post 3.15 earnings per share for the current year.

LendingTree 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.

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