Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) Shares Sold by Applied Fundamental Research LLC

Applied Fundamental Research LLC decreased its holdings in Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH - Free Report) by 20.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 135,273 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 35,715 shares during the period. Match Group comprises approximately 3.5% of Applied Fundamental Research LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th largest holding. Applied Fundamental Research LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Match Group worth $4,425,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Match Group by 617.3% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 703 shares of the technology company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 605 shares in the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new position in shares of Match Group during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Match Group during the third quarter valued at $57,000. Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Match Group by 14.2% in the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 3,035 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $99,000 after acquiring an additional 378 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. lifted its stake in Match Group by 420.3% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 3,283 shares of the technology company's stock worth $107,000 after acquiring an additional 2,652 shares during the period. 94.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Match Group Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of MTCH stock traded down $0.23 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $31.21. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,959,073 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,660,135. The stock has a market cap of $7.82 billion, a PE ratio of 15.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.45. Match Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $27.66 and a 12-month high of $38.84. The company has a 50 day moving average of $32.94 and a 200 day moving average of $34.03.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The technology company reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.84 by ($0.22). Match Group had a net margin of 15.84% and a negative return on equity of 574.22%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Match Group, Inc. will post 2.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Match Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, December 11th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the technology company to reacquire up to 19% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Match Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Match Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 37.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Match Group news, President Gary Swidler sold 242,209 shares of Match Group stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $7,958,987.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 1,690 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.77% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $33.00 price target (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Match Group in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Match Group from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Loop Capital cut their price target on Match Group from $35.00 to $30.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 12th. New Street Research lowered Match Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Match Group from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $37.68.

Match Group 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.