LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) Short Interest Up 44.8% in February

LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,336,760 shares, a growth of 44.8% from the January 29th total of 923,342 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 527,864 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days. Approximately 12.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 12.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 527,864 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days.

LendingTree Trading Down 2.5%

NASDAQ TREE traded down $0.95 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $37.37. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 709,502 shares, compared to its average volume of 492,619. LendingTree has a twelve month low of $32.65 and a twelve month high of $77.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $510.85 million, a P/E ratio of 37.00 and a beta of 2.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.93. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $51.62 and a 200 day moving average of $57.84.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on TREE. Wall Street Zen cut LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of LendingTree in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research lowered LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on LendingTree from $62.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $76.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new position in LendingTree during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,120,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of LendingTree by 1,747.8% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 546,536 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $20,260,000 after purchasing an additional 516,958 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC boosted its holdings in LendingTree by 31.5% during the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 1,760,407 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $93,461,000 after purchasing an additional 421,826 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in LendingTree by 1,163.1% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 263,835 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $17,078,000 after purchasing an additional 242,947 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Grotto Capital LLC increased its stake in LendingTree by 64.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Grotto Capital LLC now owns 584,931 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $31,054,000 after buying an additional 228,858 shares during the last quarter. 68.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.