LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $61.3333.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on TREE. Zacks Research cut shares of LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of LendingTree from $60.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of LendingTree from $70.00 to $58.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of LendingTree from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Northland Securities set a $60.00 price target on shares of LendingTree in a research report on Thursday, July 30th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingTree

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fifth Third Bancorp purchased a new stake in shares of LendingTree in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of LendingTree during the first quarter worth about $34,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of LendingTree by 281.0% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,120 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 826 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System bought a new position in shares of LendingTree in the fourth quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC bought a new position in shares of LendingTree in the fourth quarter worth approximately $59,000. 68.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

LendingTree Price Performance

LendingTree stock opened at $28.96 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $406.60 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 2.04. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $37.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $39.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. LendingTree has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $77.35.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by ($0.73). The firm had revenue of $313.42 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $315.56 million. LendingTree had a net margin of 14.33% and a return on equity of 14.57%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 25.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.13 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that LendingTree will post 3.49 EPS for the current year.

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.