LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) Earns Buy Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Key Points

• Needham & Company reiterated a Buy rating on LendingTree with a $60 price target, implying roughly a 21% upside from the current share price.
• Consensus among analysts is a Moderate Buy (five Buy ratings, two Hold ratings) with an average target price of $67.40.
• The most recent quarter (reported Mar. 2) showed revenue of $310.92M (up 22.3% YoY) but EPS of ($0.39) missed the $0.90 estimate; the stock trades near $49.59 with a market cap of $691.8M and a P/E of 4.62.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating restated by research analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $60.00 target price on the financial services provider's stock. Needham & Company LLC's price target suggests a potential upside of 20.99% from the stock's current price.

TREE has been the topic of a number of other reports. Wall Street Zen raised LendingTree from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on LendingTree from $83.00 to $70.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on LendingTree in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $50.00 price objective on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $67.40.

LendingTree Stock Up 2.5%

TREE stock opened at $49.59 on Friday. LendingTree has a twelve month low of $32.65 and a twelve month high of $77.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The stock has a market cap of $691.78 million, a P/E ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 2.13. The business's 50-day moving average price is $42.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.63.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mariner LLC lifted its holdings in LendingTree by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 1,760,407 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $93,461,000 after purchasing an additional 421,826 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LendingTree during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,120,000. Blue Grotto Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 64.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Grotto Capital LLC now owns 584,931 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $31,054,000 after acquiring an additional 228,858 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 1,747.8% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 546,536 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $20,260,000 after acquiring an additional 516,958 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 35.1% during the 4th quarter. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. now owns 469,647 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $24,934,000 after acquiring an additional 121,993 shares in the last quarter. 68.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about LendingTree

Here are the key news stories impacting LendingTree this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record revenue and top‑line beat — Consolidated Q1 revenue was $327.3M, up ~36.5% year‑over‑year and above Street estimates, a key driver for the stock’s gain. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability and cash metrics — Adjusted EBITDA was $42.0M, variable marketing margin was $99.5M, and GAAP net income was reported at $17.3M ($1.22 per diluted share), signaling improving operating leverage and margin recovery. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Full‑year revenue range raised/confirmed — Management issued FY 2026 revenue guidance of $1.3B–$1.4B (versus a ~ $1.3B consensus), implying potential upside to full‑year sales expectations. That outlook supported investor optimism. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q2 revenue guide is wide — Q2 revenue was guided to $305M–$325M versus a ~$308M consensus, leaving room for both upside and downside within the range; investors must watch midpoint and call commentary for clarity. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and slides available — Management commentary in the Q1 2026 earnings call transcript and slide deck will be the next focal point for investors assessing sustainability of growth and margin drivers. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS confusion and GAAP vs. adjusted mixes — Different outlets reported varying EPS figures (reports show $1.38, $1.66, and GAAP $1.22), and MarketBeat notes EPS missed a $1.49 consensus by $0.11 on one metric; inconsistent headlines and lower GAAP EPS limited upside. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance/details formatting issues — Some releases/feeds omitted or garbled EPS guidance figures (formatting errors in some summaries), adding short‑term uncertainty; investors should verify the company filing and listen to the call for precise guidance. Read More.

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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