Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Match Group (MTCH) from a "hold" to a "buy," but MarketBeat's consensus still sits at a Hold with a $36.42 price target (five Buy ratings vs. nine Hold ratings).
• In the latest quarter MTCH missed EPS at $0.83 vs. $1.00 expected while revenue slightly beat $878.0M; the stock trades near $36.75, with a $8.55B market cap, PE of 15.44 and a 52-week range of $26.80–$39.20.
• Institutional investors own about 94.05% of shares, with recent meaningful purchases by firms such as First Trust Advisors and Amundi indicating increased institutional accumulation.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on MTCH. Weiss Ratings raised Match Group from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Match Group from $40.00 to $37.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wolfe Research set a $43.00 target price on shares of Match Group and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Match Group in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $30.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Match Group in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $36.42.

Match Group Stock Performance

Match Group stock opened at $36.75 on Friday. Match Group has a 52 week low of $26.80 and a 52 week high of $39.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.55 billion, a PE ratio of 15.44, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.30. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $31.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $32.18.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The technology company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.00 by ($0.17). The business had revenue of $878.01 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $872.86 million. Match Group had a net margin of 17.59% and a negative return on equity of 289.29%. Match Group's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.59 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Match Group will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Match Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MTCH. Woodline Partners LP bought a new position in shares of Match Group during the 1st quarter worth about $662,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Match Group by 20.4% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 5,260 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $162,000 after acquiring an additional 891 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in Match Group by 45.9% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 649,721 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $20,070,000 after acquiring an additional 204,472 shares during the period. Amundi raised its position in Match Group by 1,477.6% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 358,709 shares of the technology company's stock worth $11,637,000 after purchasing an additional 335,971 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Match Group in the second quarter worth about $298,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.05% of the company's stock.

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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