320,733 Shares in Match Group Inc. $MTCH Purchased by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 320,733 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,356,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MTCH. Fieldview Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Match Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,803,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Match Group by 611.8% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 116,535 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $3,857,000 after purchasing an additional 100,163 shares in the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP increased its stake in shares of Match Group by 327.7% during the third quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 50,252 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,775,000 after purchasing an additional 38,502 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new position in shares of Match Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,299,000. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Match Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,863,000. 94.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Match Group

In other news, Director Melissa Anne Brenner sold 5,141 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.94, for a total transaction of $184,767.54. Following the sale, the director owned 16,218 shares in the company, valued at $582,874.92. This represents a 24.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Match Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:MTCH opened at $35.80 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $33.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.65. Match Group Inc. has a 52 week low of $28.81 and a 52 week high of $39.20. The stock has a market cap of $8.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.66, a PEG ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.36.

Match Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 7th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Match Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.53%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MTCH shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Match Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Match Group from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Match Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, April 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Match Group from $33.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Match Group from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $41.07.

About Match Group

Match Group, Inc (NASDAQ: MTCH) is a leading provider of online dating products and services. The company owns and operates a diverse portfolio of consumer brands that connect singles through digital platforms. Its flagship offerings include Match.com, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and PlentyOfFish, which together serve users looking for long-term relationships, casual encounters and social networking opportunities.

Originating with the launch of Match.com in 1995, Match Group has grown through a combination of organic development and strategic acquisitions.