LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) Price Target Lowered to $45.00 at Needham & Company LLC

Key Points

• Needham lowered LendingTree’s price target from $60 to $45 while maintaining a “buy” rating, implying approximately 41% upside from the reported $31.91 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive but has softened: five analysts rate the stock “buy” and two rate it “hold,” producing a “moderate buy” consensus and an average price target of $61.33.
• LendingTree’s shares fell sharply to $31.91, near their 12-month low, after the company missed quarterly earnings and revenue estimates; analysts also cited weaker guidance and continued uncertainty around small-business lending.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by research analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $60.00 to $45.00 in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Needham & Company LLC's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 41.00% from the company's current price.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on TREE. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of LendingTree from $78.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of LendingTree from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on LendingTree in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research lowered LendingTree from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of LendingTree in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, LendingTree has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $61.33.

LendingTree Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ TREE traded down $7.54 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $31.91. The company had a trading volume of 1,016,042 shares, compared to its average volume of 323,014. LendingTree has a 12 month low of $29.77 and a 12 month high of $77.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.89. The firm has a market cap of $445.21 million, a P/E ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 2.00. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $40.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $43.81.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.11). LendingTree had a return on equity of 17.01% and a net margin of 15.02%.The business had revenue of $319.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $321.32 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.99 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 36.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that LendingTree will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingTree

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in LendingTree by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 23,598 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,188,000 after buying an additional 1,222 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in LendingTree by 43.6% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,039 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $595,000 after buying an additional 4,871 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in LendingTree by 12.7% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 10,840 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $402,000 after buying an additional 1,223 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 12.6% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 16,754 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $621,000 after buying an additional 1,875 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 9.3% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 26,010 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $964,000 after buying an additional 2,217 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.26% of the company's stock.

LendingTree News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting LendingTree this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue increased 25% year over year to $313.4 million, driven largely by strong performance in LendingTree’s insurance segment. The company also reported $87.3 million in variable marketing margin and $35.2 million in adjusted EBITDA. LendingTree Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted an expansion of artificial-intelligence initiatives, ongoing insurance momentum and plans to address the weakness in small-business lending, offering potential longer-term growth catalysts. TREE Q2 Earnings Call Highlights AI Push Amid SMB Weakness
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial maintained a “buy” rating, although it reduced its price target from $78 to $70, indicating the analyst still sees substantial upside if LendingTree executes on its recovery plans. Truist Financial Price Target Update
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call focused on rebuilding the small-business lending business and expanding AI capabilities, but the timing and financial impact of these initiatives remain uncertain. LendingTree Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP EPS was $0.68, down from $1.13 a year earlier and below analysts’ $1.41 estimate. Revenue of $313.4 million also fell short of the roughly $315.6 million consensus, while higher costs pressured profitability. TREE Q2 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue guidance of $325 million to $335 million was below the $337.3 million consensus, and the company lowered its 2026 outlook. The weaker forecast increases concerns about near-term growth and earnings visibility. TREE Stock Down as Q2 Earnings Miss on Higher Costs

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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