Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Buys New Holdings in Match Group Inc. $MTCH

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 85,343 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,247,000.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Match Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,087,055,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Match Group by 14.6% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 19,275,943 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $680,826,000 after buying an additional 2,461,025 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Match Group by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,483,815 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $385,590,000 after buying an additional 162,330 shares during the last quarter. Starboard Value LP boosted its position in Match Group by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Starboard Value LP now owns 11,395,379 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $367,957,000 after buying an additional 325,000 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Match Group by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 9,799,389 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $316,422,000 after acquiring an additional 872,524 shares during the last quarter. 94.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Match Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Match Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI matchmaking expansion into Europe: Match Group is extending its AI-powered matchmaking efforts into European markets. The initiative could improve user engagement, matching quality and monetization across Tinder and other platforms, although financial benefits have not yet been quantified. Match Group Pushes AI Matchmaking Into Europe
• Positive Sentiment: Post-earnings share momentum: MTCH has risen 11.2% since its latest earnings report, when adjusted earnings of $0.70 per share exceeded the $0.65 consensus estimate. The stock also recently reached a 52-week high, indicating improved investor confidence despite a modest year-over-year revenue decline. Why Is Match Group Up Since Last Earnings Report? Match Group Stock Hits 52-Week High
• Neutral Sentiment: Product innovation remains a key focus: Tinder’s product and engineering teams highlighted faster product development and ongoing innovation. The update supports the long-term engagement thesis but provided no new guidance or specific revenue targets. Match Group Tinder Product Innovation Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Director reduced her holdings: Director Ann McDaniel sold 3,531 shares for approximately $149,820 at an average price of $42.43, reducing her direct ownership by 11.63%. While the sale is relatively small and may be personal or routine, insider selling can weigh on sentiment, particularly with MTCH trading near recent highs. Match Group Director Sells Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Higher wages could reinforce Fed concerns: U.S. average hourly earnings accelerated to 0.3% month over month from 0.1%, potentially increasing inflation and interest-rate concerns. Higher-for-longer rates can pressure valuation multiples for consumer and internet companies such as Match Group. Wage Growth Surges and Raises Fed Concerns

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on MTCH shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Match Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Match Group from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Match Group from $38.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Match Group in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Match Group from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.46.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Match Group news, CAO Philip Eigenmann sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.70, for a total value of $625,500.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 19,389 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $808,521.30. The trade was a 43.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Stephen Bailey sold 4,760 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.26, for a total value of $201,157.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $496,216.92. This represents a 28.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 23,291 shares of company stock valued at $976,478. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Match Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MTCH opened at $41.86 on Friday. Match Group Inc. has a 1 year low of $28.81 and a 1 year high of $43.47. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $39.24 and a 200 day moving average of $35.63. The stock has a market cap of $9.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.32.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The technology company reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.05. Match Group had a net margin of 20.17% and a negative return on equity of 324.82%. The business had revenue of $853.11 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $857.77 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.49 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Match Group Inc. will post 3.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Match Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 5th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Match Group’s payout ratio is presently 28.27%.

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.