LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) Receives Buy Rating from Needham & Company LLC

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $60.00 price objective on the financial services provider’s stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price target suggests a potential upside of 20.99% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on TREE. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on LendingTree from $83.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on LendingTree in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $50.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised LendingTree from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $67.40.

LendingTree Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of TREE opened at $49.59 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $691.78 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 2.13. LendingTree has a 1 year low of $32.65 and a 1 year high of $77.35. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $50.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.67.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 2nd. The financial services provider reported ($0.39) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.90 by ($1.29). The firm had revenue of $310.92 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $286.56 million. LendingTree had a return on equity of 12.44% and a net margin of 13.55%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that LendingTree will post 3.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of LendingTree

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in LendingTree by 272.6% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 462 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 338 shares during the period. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new position in shares of LendingTree during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new position in shares of LendingTree during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Fifth Third Bancorp bought a new position in shares of LendingTree during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, OP Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of LendingTree during the 1st quarter worth $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.26% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting LendingTree

Here are the key news stories impacting LendingTree this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record revenue and top‑line beat — Consolidated Q1 revenue was $327.3M, up ~36.5% year‑over‑year and above Street estimates, a key driver for the stock’s gain. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability and cash metrics — Adjusted EBITDA was $42.0M, variable marketing margin was $99.5M, and GAAP net income was reported at $17.3M ($1.22 per diluted share), signaling improving operating leverage and margin recovery. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Full‑year revenue range raised/confirmed — Management issued FY 2026 revenue guidance of $1.3B–$1.4B (versus a ~ $1.3B consensus), implying potential upside to full‑year sales expectations. That outlook supported investor optimism. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q2 revenue guide is wide — Q2 revenue was guided to $305M–$325M versus a ~$308M consensus, leaving room for both upside and downside within the range; investors must watch midpoint and call commentary for clarity. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and slides available — Management commentary in the Q1 2026 earnings call transcript and slide deck will be the next focal point for investors assessing sustainability of growth and margin drivers. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS confusion and GAAP vs. adjusted mixes — Different outlets reported varying EPS figures (reports show $1.38, $1.66, and GAAP $1.22), and MarketBeat notes EPS missed a $1.49 consensus by $0.11 on one metric; inconsistent headlines and lower GAAP EPS limited upside. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance/details formatting issues — Some releases/feeds omitted or garbled EPS guidance figures (formatting errors in some summaries), adding short‑term uncertainty; investors should verify the company filing and listen to the call for precise guidance. Read More.

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.