Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH)

Key Points

• Match Group saw a significant increase in call options trading, with 19,618 call options purchased, up approximately 160% from the average volume of 7,545.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.19, with a dividend yield of 2.0% and a payout ratio of 37.44%.
• Analysts have mixed ratings for Match Group, with several institutions increasing their stakes, while the average rating remains "Hold" with a consensus target price of $35.44.

Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Traders bought 19,618 call options on the stock. Thisisanincreaseof160% compared to the typical volume of 7,545 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Match Group from $28.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of Match Group from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Match Group from $31.00 to $30.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Match Group from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Match Group from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $35.44.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen Bailey sold 12,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.72, for a total value of $459,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,058 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $295,889.76. This trade represents a 60.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ann Mcdaniel sold 5,423 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.58, for a total transaction of $203,796.34. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 21,926 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $823,979.08. This represents a 19.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.64% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Match Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Match Group by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,307 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $133,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 5.1% in the first quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 6,880 shares of the technology company's stock worth $215,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares during the period. Bollard Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 0.7% in the second quarter. Bollard Group LLC now owns 54,558 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,685,000 after acquiring an additional 356 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 56.0% in the second quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,008 shares of the technology company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares during the period. Finally, Fulton Bank N.A. grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 3.9% in the first quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 10,290 shares of the technology company's stock worth $321,000 after acquiring an additional 388 shares during the period. 94.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Match Group Trading Up 0.8%

NASDAQ:MTCH traded up $0.30 on Friday, reaching $37.34. 4,124,497 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,743,289. The company has a market capitalization of $8.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.39, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.36. Match Group has a 12 month low of $26.39 and a 12 month high of $39.20. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $34.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.84.

Match Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 3rd. Match Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.44%.

About Match Group

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.