New Tinder Features Strengthen MTCH, says Seeking Alpha Analyst

Match Group stock has changed price dramatically over the past 12 months, first rising to over $48 with the introduction of Tinder Gold before crashing to below $35 at the announcement of Facebook Dating.

In the weeks after Zuckerberg’s shock move, the stock recovered over 50% of its lost value. Since then, however, it has slid back to a current price of around $40.

Match Group stock in USD. Source: Google

One Seeking Alpha analyst, Mike Berner, has now forecast a new growth period, claiming that the acquisition of Hinge and new Tinder features will lead Match to a successful 2018.

Tinder Picks, the article suggests, will help Tinder add more value to its Gold subscription tier and monetise further. The curated match feature will also make competitor Coffee Meets Bagel’s offering less unique in the space.

Tinder Places and a possible women-speak-first toggle are other ways that Tinder is innovating and looking to increase engagement, both of which may hold huge potential.

Berner argued in May that Facebook is not likely to be an existential threat despite its higher spending power, and sticks to that line here.

The analysis concludes: “Even though Match crushed its most recent quarter, Wall Street still reacted with a collective shrug.

“Because of that, the company’s valuation is now down to 28 times earnings per share.

“Given the company’s solid fundamentals, this price presents a compelling opportunity to pick up more shares.”

Read more here.