LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Seven analysts rate LendingTree a consensus "Moderate Buy" (five buys, two holds) with an average 12‑month target of $67.40; recent notes include JPMorgan starting coverage as "overweight" and Wall Street Zen upgrading to "buy" while Needham cut its target to $60.
• Quarterly results: LendingTree reported a quarterly earnings miss of ($0.39) EPS vs. $0.90 expected but topped revenue at $310.9 million, up 22.3% year‑over‑year.
• Valuation & stock snapshot: TREE opened at $48.03, has a market cap of $665.5M and a P/E of 4.48, a one‑year range of $32.65–$77.35, and roughly 68% institutional ownership.

Shares of LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the seven analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $67.40.

Several research firms have issued reports on TREE. Zacks Research lowered LendingTree from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on LendingTree in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded LendingTree from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC cut their target price on LendingTree from $85.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd.

LendingTree Stock Performance

TREE stock opened at $48.03 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.67. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $41.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $51.01. The company has a market capitalization of $665.50 million, a P/E ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 2.13. LendingTree has a 1-year low of $32.65 and a 1-year high of $77.35.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 2nd. The financial services provider reported ($0.39) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.90 by ($1.29). LendingTree had a net margin of 13.55% and a return on equity of 12.44%. The firm had revenue of $310.92 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $286.56 million. The business's quarterly revenue was up 22.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that LendingTree will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingTree

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TREE. Range Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in LendingTree in the third quarter worth about $1,408,000. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in LendingTree in the third quarter worth about $1,423,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in LendingTree by 68.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 21,029 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,361,000 after acquiring an additional 8,512 shares in the last quarter. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in LendingTree by 0.6% in the third quarter. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 91,119 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $5,898,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new stake in LendingTree in the third quarter worth about $368,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.26% of the company's stock.

LendingTree Company 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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