Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating on Match Group, with nine holds and six buys among 15 firms. The average 12-month price target is approximately $41.29, above the reported share price of $37.91.
• Match Group exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.68 versus the $0.61 consensus and revenue of $863.93 million, up 3.9% year over year. Analysts expect full-year EPS of $3.11.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.20, equivalent to an annualized $0.80 and a 2.1% yield. Institutional investors own 94.05% of the shares, while insiders own 0.71%.

Shares of Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $41.2857.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MTCH. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Match Group from $38.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Match Group from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Match Group from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays raised their target price on Match Group from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Match Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, April 26th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Melissa Anne Brenner sold 5,141 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.94, for a total transaction of $184,767.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $582,874.92. The trade was a 24.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Match Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in shares of Match Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Match Group by 6,523.1% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 861 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 848 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. raised its stake in Match Group by 91.3% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 903 shares of the technology company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Match Group by 1,319.4% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 951 shares of the technology company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 884 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Match Group by 53.0% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,028 shares of the technology company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 356 shares in the last quarter. 94.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Match Group Price Performance

MTCH opened at $37.91 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $8.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.30. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $33.93. Match Group has a fifty-two week low of $28.81 and a fifty-two week high of $41.03.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The technology company reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.07. Match Group had a net margin of 18.83% and a negative return on equity of 307.45%. The firm had revenue of $863.93 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $854.70 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.44 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Match Group will post 3.11 EPS for the current year.

Match Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 7th were given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 7th. Match Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.53%.

About Match Group

Match Group, Inc NASDAQ: MTCH is a leading provider of online dating products and services. The company owns and operates a diverse portfolio of consumer brands that connect singles through digital platforms. Its flagship offerings include Match.com, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and PlentyOfFish, which together serve users looking for long-term relationships, casual encounters and social networking opportunities.

Originating with the launch of Match.com in 1995, Match Group has grown through a combination of organic development and strategic acquisitions.

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