Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) Shares Gap Up After Dividend Announcement

Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday after the company announced a dividend. The stock had previously closed at $28.90, but opened at $33.18. Match Group shares last traded at $29.6170, with a volume of 1,616,409 shares.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Tuesday, April 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This is an increase from Match Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 7th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Match Group’s payout ratio is currently 31.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on MTCH shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Match Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Match Group from $40.00 to $37.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Match Group from $35.00 to $34.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Match Group in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Match Group from $33.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $35.86.

Match Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $7.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.32. The company’s 50 day moving average is $32.30 and its 200 day moving average is $33.94.

Match Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — revenue and EPS topped estimates, adjusted profits rose ~29% year-over-year, with Hinge growth helping offset declines in other products. Match Q4 beat
• Positive Sentiment: Company highlighted improving traction in its turnaround, strong cash flow and an upbeat revenue outlook on the earnings call — messaging that supports a recovery thesis if product initiatives continue to gain users/monetization. Earnings call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Board increased the quarterly dividend to $0.20 (ex-dividend Apr 7), a ~5% raise that modestly boosts shareholder return and may attract income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi kept a Hold rating while noting early signs of a product-led turnaround and set a $33 price target — a cautious view that balances opportunity and execution risk. Citi note
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG maintained a Hold rating, citing Hinge strength offset by Tinder weakness and fair valuation — another cautious analyst stance that may limit upside from multiple expansion. BTIG note
• Negative Sentiment: Truist trimmed its price target to $34 (from $35) and kept a Hold — a modest cut that signals limited near-term upside from current levels. Truist PT cut
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its target to $31 and moved to Neutral, further compressing analyst expectations and implying constrained upside relative to recent price action. JPMorgan PT cut
• Negative Sentiment: Independent coverage flagged user trends: reports that Tinder is losing users and that Hinge growth may be slowing — metrics that, if sustained, could undermine future monetization and revenue momentum. User trends article

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Spencer M. Rascoff bought 14,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $31.84 per share, with a total value of $445,760.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 165,128 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,257,675.52. This trade represents a 9.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.64% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Match Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MTCH. State Street Corp boosted its position in Match Group by 14.6% during the 3rd 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 stake in shares of Match Group by 1.3% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,483,815 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $385,590,000 after acquiring an additional 162,330 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Match Group by 1,163.7% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 6,137,898 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $216,791,000 after purchasing an additional 5,652,174 shares during the period. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Match Group by 7.8% during the second quarter. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. now owns 5,852,947 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $180,798,000 after purchasing an additional 424,232 shares during the period. Finally, Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Match Group by 7.1% in the second quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,287,202 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $163,322,000 after purchasing an additional 349,963 shares during the last quarter. 94.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.