Dallas, Texas-based Match Group, Inc. (MTCH) provides digital technologies designed to help people make meaningful connections. Valued at a market cap of $7.4 billion, the company operates a portfolio of more than 45 brands, including Tinder, Match.com, PlentyOfFish, Meetic and OkCupid. It is expected to announce its fiscal Q1 earnings for 2025 before the market opens on Thursday, May 8.
Prior to this event, analysts project this online dating service company to report a profit of $0.45 per share, up 2.3% from $0.44 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has met or exceeded Wall Street's bottom-line estimates in three of the last four quarters, while missing on another occasion. Its earnings of $0.62 per share in the previous quarter fell short of the consensus estimates by 3.1%.
For the full year, analysts expect MTCH to report EPS of $2.38, up 6.7% from $2.23 in fiscal 2024. Its EPS is expected to further grow 18.1% year over year to $2.81 in fiscal 2026.
MTCH has declined 7% over the past 52 weeks, falling behind both the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 5.5% rise, and the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLC) 13.7% uptick over the same time frame.
Match Group released its mixed Q4 results on Feb. 4, and shares of the company dipped 7.9% the following day. It posted revenue of $860.2 million, which marginally declined from the year-ago quarter but slightly exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. However, its adjusted operating income declined 10.4% year-over-year to $323.9 million, primarily due to lower earnings from Tinder and significantly higher corporate and unallocated costs. Adding to the downtick, its net income fell 27.2% from the year-ago quarter to $0.59 per share.
Looking ahead to fiscal 2025, MTCH expects total revenue to range between $3.4 billion and $3.5 billion, down 3% to up 1% year-over-year, and projects adjusted operating income to remain roughly flat at the midpoint of the range.
Wall Street analysts are moderately optimistic about Match Group’s stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 24 analysts covering the stock, eight recommend "Strong Buy," one suggests a “Moderate Buy,” and 15 advise “Hold.” The mean price target for MTCH is $36.14, which indicates a 21.6% potential upside from the current levels.
