LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) Receives $74.00 Average Target Price from Analysts

Shares of LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $74.00.

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on shares of LendingTree from $83.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, March 15th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on shares of LendingTree from $85.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd.

LendingTree Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of TREE stock opened at $42.88 on Friday. LendingTree has a fifty-two week low of $32.65 and a fifty-two week high of $77.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $594.32 million, a PE ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 2.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a current ratio of 1.67. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $44.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $53.79.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) last released its earnings results on Monday, March 2nd. The financial services provider reported ($0.39) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by ($1.29). LendingTree had a return on equity of 12.44% and a net margin of 13.55%.The firm had revenue of $310.92 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $286.56 million. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that LendingTree will post 0.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of LendingTree

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of TREE. Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new position in LendingTree during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in LendingTree by 272.6% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 462 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 338 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp purchased a new stake in LendingTree in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in LendingTree in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of LendingTree by 25.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,141 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.26% of the company’s stock.

About LendingTree

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.