Match Group Q3 EPS Rises 17.7% as Tinder Daily Users Return to Growth
Match Group's third-quarter profit rose 8.5% even as revenue slipped 2.5%, and the dating-app company said Tinder's daily users returned to year-over-year growth in September for the first time in three and a half years.
Revenue fell to $891.2 million from $914.3 million a year earlier, according to the earnings materials Match filed with an 8-K on Monday. Excluding currency effects, revenue declined 2%. Net income attributable to shareholders increased to $174.4 million from $160.7 million, and diluted EPS rose 17.7% to $0.73 from $0.62, helped by a lower share count.
Operating income climbed to $268.6 million from $221.3 million, as general and administrative costs fell 38% against a year-ago quarter that included a $61 million legal settlement charge at Tinder. Adjusted EBITDA rose 14% to $344 million, a 39% margin. Excluding that charge, Adjusted EBITDA fell 5%, mainly because of higher marketing spending at Tinder and Hinge.
Tinder stabilizes, Hinge grows
Tinder direct revenue fell 2% to $480 million, and payers declined 4% to 8.9 million. Daily active users were down 1% for the quarter but turned positive in September, and monthly active user declines narrowed to 5.5%.
"Daily Active Users returned to Y/Y growth in September for the first time in three and a half years," CEO Spencer Rascoff said in the release. "There is more to do, but we're delivering on the milestones we set, and our confidence is building as we head into 2027."
Hinge direct revenue rose 19% to $221 million as payers grew 23% to 2.3 million. Direct revenue at Match's E&E brands fell 20% to $176 million, hurt by a required redesign of the Azar app and weakness at other brands in the group.
Dividend and buybacks
The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share, payable Jan. 21, 2027, to shareholders of record as of Jan. 6, 2027, according to the 8-K.
Through the first nine months, Match repurchased 9.6 million shares for $336 million and paid $137 million in dividends. It bought back another 1.1 million shares for $44 million in October. CFO Steve Bailey said diluted shares outstanding are down 4% from a year earlier and 10% since the start of 2025.
Outlook
Match expects fourth-quarter revenue of $865 million to $875 million, down 1% to flat from a year earlier, and Adjusted EBITDA of $327.5 million to $332.5 million. At the midpoint, it expects full-year revenue to be flat and slightly above the midpoint of its February guidance range. It now expects a full-year Adjusted EBITDA margin of 38.8%, above the 37.5% it guided to in February, and free cash flow slightly above the high end of its February range.
By the numbers
- Revenue: $891.2 million, down 2.5%
- Diluted EPS: $0.73, up 17.7%
- Hinge direct revenue: $221 million, up 19%
- Tinder direct revenue: $480 million, down 2%
- Quarterly dividend: $0.20 per share
- Q4 revenue outlook: $865 million to $875 million
Sources
- Match Group Form 8-K with third-quarter 2026 earnings and dividend declaration, filed Nov. 2, 2026 (accession 0000891103-26-000161)
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