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Lendingtree Inc (TREE)
NASDAQ:TREE

Lendingtree (TREE) AI Stock Analysis

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TREE

Lendingtree

(NASDAQ:TREE)

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Neutral 60 (OpenAI - 4o)
Rating:60Neutral
Price Target:
$57.00
▲(5.44% Upside)
LendingTree's overall score reflects a mix of strong revenue growth and strategic positioning against the backdrop of high leverage and valuation concerns. The earnings call provided positive insights into segment performance and future strategies, but recent leadership changes and technical indicators suggest caution. The company's ability to manage debt and adapt to market changes will be critical for future performance.
Positive Factors
Revenue Growth
Strong revenue growth across segments indicates robust market demand and effective business strategies, supporting long-term expansion.
Insurance Segment Leadership
Leadership in the insurance segment enhances competitive positioning and revenue stability, contributing to sustained business growth.
Debt Reduction
Reducing leverage improves financial flexibility, enabling strategic investments and enhancing resilience against economic fluctuations.
Negative Factors
High Leverage
High leverage poses financial risks, potentially limiting strategic options and increasing vulnerability to market downturns.
Mortgage Segment Challenges
Persistent challenges in the mortgage segment could hinder revenue growth and require strategic adjustments to mitigate impact.
Leadership Changes
Leadership changes introduce uncertainty in strategic direction and execution, potentially impacting long-term business continuity.

Lendingtree (TREE) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Lendingtree Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionLendingTree, Inc., through its subsidiary, LT Intermediate Company, LLC, operates online consumer platform in the United States. It operates through three segments: Home, Consumer, and Insurance. The Home segment offers purchase mortgage, refinance mortgage, reverse mortgage, and home equity loans; lines of credit; and real estate brokerage services. The Consumer segment provides credit cards; personal, small business, student, and auto loans; deposit accounts; and other credit products, such as credit repair and debt settlement services. The Insurance segment includes information, tools, and access to insurance quote products, including home and automobile, through which consumers are matched with insurance lead aggregators to obtain insurance offers. LendingTree, Inc. also operates Student Loan Hero, a personal finance website dedicated to helping student loan borrowers manage their student debt; QuoteWizard.com, a marketplace for insurance comparison; ValuePenguin, a personal finance website that offers consumers objective analysis on various financial topics from insurance to credit cards; and Stash, a consumer investing and banking platform that offers a suite of personal investment accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, custodial investment accounts, and banking services, including checking accounts and debit cards with a Stock-Back rewards program. The company was formerly known as Tree.com, Inc. and changed its name to LendingTree, Inc. in January 2015. LendingTree, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
How the Company Makes MoneyLendingTree generates revenue primarily through a performance-based model, where it earns money by charging lenders for the leads generated from its platform. When a consumer uses LendingTree to request loan offers, lenders pay LendingTree for the opportunity to connect with potential borrowers. This is known as lead generation and is a significant revenue stream for the company. Additionally, LendingTree earns revenue from advertising and affiliate partnerships, where it promotes financial products and services from various companies and receives a commission for successful referrals. The company has established partnerships with numerous financial institutions, which enhances its ability to offer a wide range of loan products and increases its earnings potential through diverse revenue streams.

Lendingtree Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Segment
Revenue by Segment
Shows how much revenue each business segment generates, indicating the company’s diversified income sources and potential growth areas.
Chart InsightsLendingTree's recent earnings call highlights a significant turnaround, with all segments showing double-digit growth. The Consumer segment's recovery is notable, driven by strong small business and personal loan revenue. The Home segment's rebound, fueled by home equity gains, contrasts with its prior decline. Insurance revenue's resurgence, overcoming earlier technical setbacks, underscores the segment's resilience. The strategic emphasis on AI is expected to enhance operational efficiency and customer engagement, positioning the company for sustained growth. This momentum suggests a promising outlook despite past challenges.
Data provided by:The Fly

Lendingtree Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Oct 30, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Mar 03, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
LendingTree demonstrated robust growth across its business segments, particularly in insurance and consumer loans, while maintaining financial health by reducing leverage. However, challenges remain in the mortgage segment due to high rates, and there is a need to adapt to changes in search engine and AI traffic. Overall, the positives in revenue growth and strategic positioning outweigh these challenges.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Revenue Performance
LendingTree reported revenue of $308 million, marking the second highest in the company's history, with each segment recording double-digit year-over-year revenue growth and VMD growth.
Insurance Segment Leadership
LendingTree regained a leadership position in the insurance marketplace, with a 60% increase in spend from carriers outside the top three. Home insurance VMD was up 80% year-over-year, and health insurance VMD increased by 41%.
Consumer Segment Success
The Consumer segment saw VMD growth of 26% and revenue growth of 11%, with the small business team driving a 30% increase in loans closed and a 50% year-over-year revenue increase.
Home Equity Product Growth
Despite high mortgage rates and a sluggish housing market, revenue from LendingTree's home equity product increased 35% in the third quarter.
Debt Reduction and Financial Flexibility
The company successfully reduced leverage to 2.5x, down from 4.4x a year ago, providing more flexibility for capital allocation, including paying down debt, share buybacks, and selective acquisitions.
Negative Updates
Uncertainty in Mortgage Segment
The mortgage segment faces challenges with high rates, keeping existing home sales low, reminiscent of the financial crisis period. A significant decrease in rates is needed to trigger refinance activity.
SEO and AI Traffic Turbulence
The transition from legacy SEO to AI-driven search has been turbulent, impacting the financial services industry's traffic and requiring adaptation to new content and tools for LLMs and AI.
Company Guidance
During the LendingTree Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call, the company reported a strong performance with revenue reaching $308 million, marking the second-highest in its history. The call highlighted significant year-over-year growth across its three segments, with double-digit increases in both revenue and variable margin dollars (VMD). Notably, the Consumer segment saw a 26% growth in VMD and an 11% revenue increase, driven by a 30% rise in closed loans in the small business division, contributing to a 50% year-over-year revenue surge. The Home segment also performed well, with home equity product revenue rising by 35%, even amidst high mortgage rates. The company is leveraging operational excellence and AI advancements to enhance consumer experiences and is well-positioned to capitalize on future market opportunities. Additionally, the insurance segment benefited from a 60% increase in spending by its 4 through 10 largest carriers, indicating strong demand. Looking ahead, LendingTree plans to prioritize debt reduction as part of its capital allocation strategy, but is open to considering share buybacks and strategic acquisitions if opportunities arise.

Lendingtree Financial Statement Overview

Summary
LendingTree shows strong gross profit margins and a positive turnaround in net profit margin. However, high leverage and declining free cash flow growth present significant risks. Improvements in return on equity are positive, but maintaining stability amidst high debt levels is crucial.
Income Statement
70
Positive
Lendingtree's income statement shows a strong gross profit margin of 96.16% TTM, indicating efficient cost management. The net profit margin has improved to 1.34% TTM from negative figures in previous years, reflecting a positive turnaround. Revenue growth is positive at 4.64% TTM, showing recovery and growth potential. However, historical volatility in net income and EBIT margins suggests potential risks in maintaining profitability.
Balance Sheet
55
Neutral
The balance sheet reveals a high debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33 TTM, indicating significant leverage which could pose financial risk. Return on equity has improved to 12.23% TTM, showing better utilization of equity. However, the equity ratio remains low, suggesting a reliance on debt financing. Overall, while there are improvements, the high leverage remains a concern.
Cash Flow
60
Neutral
Cash flow analysis shows a decline in free cash flow growth by 21.68% TTM, which is concerning. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is 0.40 TTM, indicating moderate cash generation relative to net income. The free cash flow to net income ratio is strong at 0.83 TTM, suggesting good cash conversion. Despite some strengths, the decline in free cash flow growth is a notable weakness.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.06B900.22M672.50M984.99M1.10B909.99M
Gross Profit1.02B864.15M633.74M927.22M1.04B855.50M
EBITDA99.98M73.12M35.26M17.05M60.88M61.05M
Net Income14.16M-41.70M-122.40M-187.95M69.11M-48.26M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets759.92M767.67M802.76M1.20B1.30B1.19B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments68.58M106.59M112.05M298.85M251.23M169.93M
Total Debt449.84M544.09M611.15M912.76M748.92M709.15M
Total Liabilities627.52M658.85M678.63M991.37M851.36M824.23M
Stockholders Equity132.40M108.82M124.13M207.94M447.99M364.76M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow60.57M51.04M55.04M31.52M89.81M-3.58M
Operating Cash Flow72.81M62.26M67.57M42.97M124.87M38.57M
Investing Cash Flow-9.75M-11.22M-12.48M-27.88M13.38M-122.15M
Financing Cash Flow-91.27M-56.50M-242.01M32.67M-56.96M193.29M

Lendingtree Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price54.06
Price Trends
50DMA
56.57
Negative
100DMA
60.26
Negative
200DMA
51.01
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.25
Negative
RSI
45.86
Neutral
STOCH
28.75
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For TREE, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 54.06 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 53.60, below the 50-day MA of 56.57, and above the 200-day MA of 51.01, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.25 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 45.86 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 28.75 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for TREE.

Lendingtree Risk Analysis

Lendingtree disclosed 60 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Lendingtree reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Lendingtree Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
74
Outperform
$658.23M9.4810.39%2.23%18.70%62.14%
70
Outperform
$375.00M2.1712.53%9.57%10.48%-30.67%
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
64
Neutral
$251.09M8.648.59%-5.29%
63
Neutral
$898.26M-85.1925.65%34.48%
60
Neutral
$765.97M55.5212.49%37.01%
47
Neutral
$926.40M-25.72%3.91%27.78%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
TREE
Lendingtree
54.06
13.94
34.75%
LDI
loanDepot
2.60
0.48
22.64%
YRD
Yiren Digital
4.39
-0.11
-2.44%
OPRT
Oportun Financial
5.57
1.69
43.56%
HIPO
Hippo Holdings
31.07
2.85
10.10%
WDH
Waterdrop
1.79
0.67
59.82%

Lendingtree Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyRegulatory Filings and Compliance
LendingTree Updates Bylaws to Enhance Governance
Neutral
Nov 21, 2025

On November 21, 2025, LendingTree, Inc. announced amendments to its Amended and Restated Bylaws following updates to SEC rules and Delaware General Corporation Law. These changes aim to enhance corporate governance, improve administrative efficiency, and align with evolving legal standards, impacting stockholder meetings, nominations, and officer responsibilities.

Executive/Board Changes
LendingTree Appoints New Leadership After CEO’s Passing
Negative
Oct 16, 2025

On October 13, 2025, LendingTree announced the unexpected passing of its Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Doug Lebda, due to an all-terrain vehicle accident on October 12, 2025. In response, the Board appointed Scott Peyree as the new President and CEO, while Steve Ozonian was named Chairman of the Board. The company expressed its commitment to upholding Doug Lebda’s legacy and continuing his mission of consumer empowerment in the financial services industry.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Dec 09, 2025