LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded LendingTree from buy to strong-buy, adding to a generally positive analyst view of the stock.
• LendingTree shares were down 1.3% to $45.30, even after the upgrade; the stock has traded between $32.65 and $77.35 over the past year.
• The company recently reported Q1 EPS of $1.38, missing estimates, while revenue of $319.07 million topped year-ago results by 36.5%.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Sunday.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on TREE. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of LendingTree in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of LendingTree in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial set a $78.00 price objective on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of LendingTree from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. 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, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $68.60.

LendingTree Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of LendingTree stock traded down $0.58 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $45.30. 119,609 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 286,010. LendingTree has a twelve month low of $32.65 and a twelve month high of $77.35. The company has a market cap of $631.93 million, a PE ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 2.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $39.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $44.86.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingTree

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 5.5% in 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 purchasing an additional 1,222 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in LendingTree by 43.6% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,039 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $595,000 after buying an additional 4,871 shares during the period. 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 during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 12.6% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 16,754 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $621,000 after acquiring an additional 1,875 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 9.3% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 26,010 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $964,000 after acquiring an additional 2,217 shares during the period. 68.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About LendingTree

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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