Filing Flows › LendingTree (TREE) › Takeover & LBO
Is LendingTree (TREE) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout does not work for LendingTree on its latest figures: its EBITDA margin is only 2.0% ($26.5M on revenue of $1.3B), too thin to carry buyout debt. Historically 6.5% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (1.29× the average).
Why a leveraged buyout does not fit
LendingTree kept 2.0% of its revenue as EBITDA over the last 12 months ($26.5M on $1.3B). A margin that thin cannot carry the debt a leveraged buyout needs — a small dip in sales would leave nothing for interest — so the model gives no buyout price.
What a takeover could cost
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 14.9% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 9.5% to 33.6%), according to the 17 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, LendingTree would cost about $32.10 a share, $451M for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 9.5% | $30.59 | $430M |
| Median | 14.9% | $32.10 | $451M |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 33.6% | $37.33 | $524M |
The odds, from history
Historically 6.5% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (1.29× the average). Its figures put it in decile 8 of 10 (10 = the most likely to be bought). The odds come from a model of every merger proxy, tender-offer response and going-private statement filed on EDGAR since 2011, set against each company's size, margins, debt, cash flow and growth the year before.
LendingTree's latest quarter
LendingTree, Q3 2026: revenue $344M (+12% year over year), operating margin -20.5%, net loss $72.4M, operating cash flow $35.7M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is LendingTree being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy LendingTree?
A leveraged buyout does not work for LendingTree on its latest figures: its EBITDA margin is only 2.0% ($26.5M on revenue of $1.3B), too thin to carry buyout debt. A margin that thin leaves almost nothing to pay interest with, so buyout debt does not fit.
What would a takeover of LendingTree cost?
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 14.9% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 9.5% to 33.6%), according to the 17 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, LendingTree would cost about $32.10 a share, $451M for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.