Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) Stock Has Average Price Target of $45.64 According to Analysts

Shares of Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $45.64.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Match Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 target price on Match Group in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Needham & Company LLC upgraded Match Group to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Citigroup boosted their price target on Match Group from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Match Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th.

Match Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:MTCH opened at $39.94 on Wednesday. Match Group has a one year low of $28.81 and a one year high of $46.67. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $42.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.78. The stock has a market cap of $9.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.59, a PEG ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.47.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The technology company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.02. Match Group had a net margin of 20.69% and a negative return on equity of 361.92%. The company had revenue of $891.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $892.45 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.62 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Match Group will post 3.19 EPS for the current year.

Match Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 6th. Match Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Match Group

In other Match Group news, Director Glenn Schiffman purchased 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $38.83 per share, with a total value of $97,075.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 72,059 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,798,050.97. This represents a 3.59% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Stephen Bailey sold 4,760 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.26, for a total transaction of $201,157.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $496,216.92. This represents a 28.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 23,291 shares of company stock worth $976,478 over the last three months. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Match Group

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MTCH. Ieq Capital LLC lifted its stake in Match Group by 1.1% during the third quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 644,034 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $25,858,000 after purchasing an additional 6,967 shares during the period. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 117.8% in the 3rd quarter. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 47,082 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,890,000 after purchasing an additional 25,469 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 37,819 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,518,000 after purchasing an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 52.2% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 1,219,741 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $51,705,000 after purchasing an additional 418,306 shares during the period. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in shares of Match Group by 35.6% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 14,090 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $566,000 after buying an additional 3,697 shares in the last quarter. 94.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Match Group Company Profile

Match Group, Inc. is a global provider of online dating products and services. Its portfolio includes Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Meetic, and OurTime, among other brands. These services help people meet and build relationships through mobile apps and websites, with features and subscription options that vary by brand and market. The company serves users in countries around the world. Its brands are designed for different audiences and dating preferences, from broad-based platforms to services focused on particular age groups or regions.