TREE - LendingTree upgraded to Outperform at Northland Securities

LendingTree ([[TREE]] +2.8%) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Northland Securities with PT, $225 (indicating 9.8% upside from current levels).Analyst Mike Grondahl says that while he could be a little early, he sees an improved risk/reward as he believes risks that include intense competition, LendingTree's dependence on Google search and its continued need to invest are now more properly reflected in the share price.Quick look at the company's value grade and underlying metrics:Recently, the company organized the business around three key divisions: the core LendingTree marketplaces, the QuoteWizard insurance business, and LendingTree Next.Scott Peyree will continue to run the insurance business and he will focus on growing existing carrier relationships, increasing strength in search engine marketing with additional traffic acquisition sources, and increasing scale in non-auto categories.He also believes that the company's resilience in mortgage "may be a little better than feared," the analyst added.Wall Street Analysts rating is Very

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LendingTree upgraded to Outperform at Northland Securities