Wells Fargo & Company Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) Stock Price

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) had its target price lowered by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $39.00 to $38.00 in a report released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the technology company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price would indicate a potential downside of 3.42% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on MTCH. Barclays increased their target price on Match Group from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings raised Match Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Evercore upgraded Match Group from a “cautious” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $53.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, October 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Match Group in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 price target on Match Group in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.64.

Match Group Stock Down 6.5%

Shares of MTCH stock traded down $2.73 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $39.34. 1,795,009 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,982,747. Match Group has a 1-year low of $28.81 and a 1-year high of $46.67. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $42.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.03 billion, a PE ratio of 14.01, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.43.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The technology company reported $0.73 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.02. Match Group had a net margin of 20.17% and a negative return on equity of 324.82%. The business had revenue of $891.23 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $892.45 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.62 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Match Group will post 3.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Match Group

In related news, Director Glenn Schiffman acquired 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $36.63 per share, for a total transaction of $109,890.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 56,370 shares in the company, valued at $2,064,833.10. This represents a 5.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Stephen Bailey sold 4,760 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.26, for a total transaction of $201,157.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $496,216.92. The trade was a 28.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 23,291 shares of company stock worth $976,478 in the last 90 days. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Match Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Match Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,087,055,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Match Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $154,811,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Match Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $100,796,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of Match Group by 196.6% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,194,368 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $98,099,000 after purchasing an additional 2,117,414 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Match Group in the second quarter valued at $77,859,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.05% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Match Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tinder user trends improved. Tinder’s U.S. daily active users returned to year-over-year growth in October, following a similar milestone in September after more than three years of declines. Management also highlighted efforts to improve the app’s user experience and expand artificial-intelligence features. Tinder’s US daily active users return to growth in October as Match ramps up AI efforts
• Positive Sentiment: Hinge continued to deliver strong growth. Match Group reported double-digit year-over-year growth in Hinge users, revenue and payers, providing a second growth engine as Tinder works to stabilize. Match Group Announces Third Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Reported earnings modestly exceeded the main consensus. Third-quarter adjusted EPS was $0.73 versus the $0.71 consensus, while revenue of $891.2 million was broadly in line with expectations. EPS also improved from $0.62 a year earlier. Match Posts Q3 EPS $0.73
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts maintained Hold ratings. Morgan Stanley kept a $40 target and J.P. Morgan maintained a $43 target, indicating that Tinder’s recovery is encouraging but monetization and profit growth remain unproven. Match Group Holds at $40 Target
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying operating trends remain soft. Revenue declined 2.5% year over year and paying users fell, raising concerns about Match Group’s ability to convert improving engagement into sustainable revenue growth. Some estimates also characterized quarterly EPS as below a broader Zacks consensus, reflecting differing earnings measures.
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter guidance implies limited growth. Match Group forecast revenue of $865 million to $875 million, roughly 1% lower to flat year over year and close to consensus. Management also expects a new 2027 fee-related headwind of approximately one percentage point to margins. Match Group outlines 2027 margin headwind

About Match Group

Match Group, Inc is a global provider of online dating and social discovery services. The company operates a portfolio of dating applications and websites designed to help people form relationships, including Tinder, Hinge, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, BLK, Chispa and The League.

Its platforms serve users across a broad range of geographies and relationship preferences. Match Group generates revenue primarily through paid subscriptions, premium features, à la carte purchases and advertising.