Vest Financial LLC Buys 52,309 Shares of Match Group Inc. $MTCH

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC boosted its stake in Match Group by 652.8% in Q4, buying 52,309 shares to own 60,322 shares worth about $1.95 million.
• Analysts have an average rating of "Hold" with a consensus target of $36.42; Match Group's latest quarter reported EPS of $0.83 (missing the $1.00 estimate) on $878 million of revenue.
• Match Group raised its quarterly dividend to $0.20 (annualized $0.80), implying a 2.2% yield and a payout ratio around 33.6%.

Vest Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH - Free Report) by 652.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,322 shares of the technology company's stock after purchasing an additional 52,309 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC's holdings in Match Group were worth $1,948,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MTCH. Woodline Partners LP bought a new position in Match Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $662,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Match Group by 20.4% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 5,260 shares of the technology company's stock worth $162,000 after acquiring an additional 891 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Match Group by 45.9% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 649,721 shares of the technology company's stock worth $20,070,000 after acquiring an additional 204,472 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in shares of Match Group by 1,477.6% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 358,709 shares of the technology company's stock worth $11,637,000 after acquiring an additional 335,971 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Match Group in the second quarter worth about $298,000. 94.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MTCH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Match Group in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Match Group in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $30.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Match Group from $35.00 to $34.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Match Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Match Group from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Match Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $36.42.

Match Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MTCH opened at $36.97 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $8.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.30. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $32.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.27. Match Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $26.80 and a 52-week high of $39.20.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The technology company reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.00 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $878.01 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $872.86 million. Match Group had a net margin of 17.59% and a negative return on equity of 289.29%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.59 EPS. Analysts predict that Match Group Inc. will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Match Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 7th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This is an increase from Match Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 7th. Match Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 33.61%.

About Match Group

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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