Lazard Asset Management LLC Has $804,000 Stake in Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH)

Lazard Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH - Free Report) by 81.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 24,592 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 105,162 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC's holdings in Match Group were worth $804,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MTCH. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan acquired a new position in Match Group during the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 30,240.0% during the fourth quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 1,517 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 1,512 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 14.2% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 3,035 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 378 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 420.3% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 3,283 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 2,652 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Match Group in the 4th quarter valued at $116,000. 94.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Spencer M. Rascoff bought 70,885 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $28.05 per share, for a total transaction of $1,988,324.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 137,478 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,856,257.90. The trade was a 106.45% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, President Gary Swidler sold 242,209 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $7,958,987.74. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 1,690 shares in the company, valued at $55,533.40. This represents a 99.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Match Group Stock Performance

MTCH traded down $0.24 on Friday, hitting $29.21. 3,248,511 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,919,370. Match Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $26.39 and a 12 month high of $38.84. The company has a market cap of $7.32 billion, a PE ratio of 14.46, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.42. The stock's fifty day moving average is $29.63 and its 200-day moving average is $31.55.

Match Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 3rd. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.60%. Match Group's payout ratio is presently 37.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MTCH has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on Match Group from $31.00 to $30.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Match Group from $36.00 to $33.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Match Group from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Match Group from $35.00 to $29.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Match Group from $32.00 to $31.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $35.91.

Match Group Company Profile

Match Group, Inc engages in the provision of dating products. Its portfolio of brands includes Tinder, Hinge, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Pairs, Plenty Of Fish, Azar, BLK, and Hakuna, as well as a various other brands, each built to increase users' likelihood of connecting with others. Its services are available in over 40 languages to users worldwide.