Aurora Investment Counsel Has $2.21 Million Stake in Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH)

Aurora Investment Counsel trimmed its holdings in shares of Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) by 4.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 67,537 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 2,893 shares during the quarter. Match Group comprises 1.2% of Aurora Investment Counsel’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Aurora Investment Counsel’s holdings in Match Group were worth $2,209,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MTCH. Starboard Value LP acquired a new position in Match Group during the third quarter worth $361,605,000. Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its holdings in Match Group by 2,732.1% during the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 1,659,718 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $62,804,000 after acquiring an additional 1,601,115 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Match Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $45,768,000. Seizert Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Match Group by 468.6% during the fourth quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,481,967 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $48,475,000 after acquiring an additional 1,221,347 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in Match Group by 3,325.7% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,122,906 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $36,730,000 after acquiring an additional 1,090,127 shares during the period. 94.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Match Group Trading Down 2.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ MTCH opened at $30.08 on Friday. Match Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $27.66 and a 1-year high of $38.84. The company has a market cap of $7.53 billion, a PE ratio of 14.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $33.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.22.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The technology company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by ($0.22). Match Group had a negative return on equity of 574.22% and a net margin of 15.84%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Match Group, Inc. will post 2.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Match Group declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, December 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the technology company to buy up to 19% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Match Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. Match Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Gary Swidler sold 242,209 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $7,958,987.74. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 1,690 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $55,533.40. The trade was a 99.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MTCH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Match Group from $38.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Match Group from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 6th. New Street Research downgraded shares of Match Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $33.00 price objective (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Match Group in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Match Group from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $37.68.

Match Group Company Profile

Match Group, Inc engages in the provision of dating products. Its portfolio of brands includes Tinder, Hinge, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Pairs, Plenty Of Fish, Azar, BLK, and Hakuna, as well as a various other brands, each built to increase users' likelihood of connecting with others. Its services are available in over 40 languages to users worldwide.