Principal Securities Inc. Has $107,000 Position in Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH)

Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) by 420.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,283 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 2,652 shares during the quarter. Principal Securities Inc.’s holdings in Match Group were worth $107,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MTCH. Empirical Finance LLC grew its position in shares of Match Group by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 25,952 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $982,000 after buying an additional 384 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its stake in shares of Match Group by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 29,955 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,133,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Match Group by 617.3% during the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 703 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 605 shares during the last quarter. River Global Investors LLP raised its position in shares of Match Group by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. River Global Investors LLP now owns 82,382 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $3,119,000 after acquiring an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Match Group by 17.2% in the 3rd quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 5,128 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $194,000 after purchasing an additional 753 shares during the period. 94.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Match Group Stock Down 1.1 %

NASDAQ MTCH opened at $32.48 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $33.38 and its 200-day moving average is $34.56. The firm has a market cap of $8.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.08, 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.

Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The technology company reported $0.62 EPS 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%. Equities analysts expect that Match Group, Inc. will post 2.44 EPS for the current year.

Match Group declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, December 11th that permits the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the technology company to buy up to 19% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Match Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. Match Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on MTCH shares. BTIG Research downgraded shares of Match Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $35.00 price target on shares of Match Group in a report on Monday, December 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Match Group from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on Match Group from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, KeyCorp cut their price objective on shares of Match Group from $45.00 to $43.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average 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.