Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund Purchases 27,005 Shares of Match Group Inc. $MTCH

Key Points

• Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund doubled its Match Group stake in the first quarter, buying 27,005 additional shares to bring its total to 54,000 shares worth about $1.66 million.
• Analysts are still mixed on MTCH: several firms raised price targets after the latest update, but the overall consensus remains “Hold” with an average target of $41.29.
• Match Group reported solid quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, while also announcing a $0.20 quarterly dividend and noting an insider stock sale by director Melissa Anne Brenner.

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH - Free Report) by 100.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 54,000 shares of the technology company's stock after acquiring an additional 27,005 shares during the quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund's holdings in Match Group were worth $1,658,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MTCH. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Match Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Activest Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Match Group by 6,523.1% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 861 shares of the technology company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 848 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Match Group by 91.3% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 903 shares of the technology company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in Match Group by 53.0% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,028 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 356 shares during the period. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Match Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 94.05% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on MTCH. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Match Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, April 26th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Match Group from $33.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $43.00 price objective on shares of Match Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays raised their target price on Match Group from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Match Group from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $41.29.

Insider Transactions at Match Group

In other Match Group news, Director Melissa Anne Brenner sold 5,141 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.94, for a total transaction of $184,767.54. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 16,218 shares of the company's stock, valued at $582,874.92. This trade represents a 24.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Match Group Stock Down 1.2%

NASDAQ:MTCH traded down $0.47 on Friday, reaching $38.85. 2,189,775 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,675,978. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.48. The firm has a market cap of $9.06 billion, a PE ratio of 14.83, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.30. Match Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $28.81 and a 12 month high of $39.78.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The technology company reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.07. Match Group had a negative return on equity of 307.45% and a net margin of 18.83%.The firm had revenue of $863.93 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $854.70 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.44 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Match Group Inc. will post 3.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Match Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 7th will be paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 7th. Match Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.53%.

Match Group Company Profile

Match Group, Inc NASDAQ: MTCH is a leading provider of online dating products and services. The company owns and operates a diverse portfolio of consumer brands that connect singles through digital platforms. Its flagship offerings include Match.com, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and PlentyOfFish, which together serve users looking for long-term relationships, casual encounters and social networking opportunities.

Originating with the launch of Match.com in 1995, Match Group has grown through a combination of organic development and strategic acquisitions.

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