StockNews.com Downgrades LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) to Hold

StockNews.com downgraded shares of LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Monday.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of LendingTree from $25.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded shares of LendingTree from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $24.00 to $45.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of LendingTree from $25.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Truist Financial raised their target price on LendingTree from $24.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on LendingTree from $17.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $38.00.

LendingTree Stock Up 2.5 %

Shares of TREE opened at $40.98 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a current ratio of 2.60. LendingTree has a 52 week low of $10.12 and a 52 week high of $44.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $534.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.35 and a beta of 2.19. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $35.99 and a 200-day moving average of $25.22.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.14. LendingTree had a negative return on equity of 4.22% and a negative net margin of 18.20%. The business had revenue of $134.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $135.55 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.53) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that LendingTree will post -0.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of LendingTree

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of LendingTree by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 785,263 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $23,809,000 after purchasing an additional 33,990 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in LendingTree by 188.0% in the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 1,584 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in LendingTree by 456.3% in the fourth quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 146,661 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,447,000 after buying an additional 120,296 shares during the period. Blue Grotto Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LendingTree during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,930,000. Finally, Brevan Howard Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in LendingTree in the fourth quarter worth $522,000. 68.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About LendingTree

LendingTree, Inc, through its subsidiary, operates online consumer platform in the United States. It operates through three segments: Home, Consumer, and Insurance. The Home segment offers purchase mortgage, refinance mortgage, and home equity loans and lines of credit; and real estate brokerage services.