It’s a Match! How You Can Invest in Tinder

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Tinder, the dating application that has taking the world by storm, isn’t a publicly traded company. But it’s spreading like wildfire, and savvy investors might still find themselves wondering if there’s some way to invest in Tinder stock.

tinder-logo

The answer? Yes, albeit indirectly.

Tinder is owned by the media/holding company IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI), which has been betting pretty heavily on the whole online dating thing recently. But soon enough, IACI won’t be the only way to invest in the wildly popular area of online dating:

Swipe Right On IACI Stock

For now, buying into InterActiveCorp is the best way to invest in Tinder stock. One of IACI’s four divisions is called The Match Group, which owns online and mobile dating platforms Match.com, OkCupid, Tinder, and, effective July 14, PlentyOfFish.

The Match Group has been the driving force behind IACI shares recently, and Tinder alone is estimated to account for as much as $1 billion of IAC’s current $6 billion valuation. If you buy into the parent company, it won’t just give you exposure to Tinder stock though; IACI owns a veritable plethora of digital and media properties, and its portfolio includes About.com, Dictionary.com, CollegeHumor, Investopedia, and Ask.com.

But you can excuse investors for wanting to invest in standalone Tinder stock, without all those other businesses diluting their exposure to the hit app. After all, Tinder boasts an estimated 50 million users and growing, and has around 500,000 paid subscribers, according to Jefferies analyst Brian Pitz.

Unfortunately, there is no truly pure play on Tinder, no way to invest in Tinder stock. The good news? The closest thing to a Tinder IPO will come in the fourth quarter of this year, when IACI completes its spinoff of the Match Group.

If you’re too antsy and just can’t wait to invest in Tinder in any way possible, IACI stock represents a fine opportunity. Down 15% in the past month, I think shares are currently undervalued and suspect there will be a modest uptick in the build-up to the Match IPO.

After all, IACI is only expected to offer about 20% of its shares in Match Group to the public when the IPO happens, so not only will the company get a cash infusion but it’ll retain a huge equity stake.

I have a sneaking suspicion that, due to the popularity of online dating — and the monetization potential of Tinder — the Match IPO will generate higher-than-expected interest, and will likely price higher than the initially stated IPO price range.

Subscriptions to “Tinder Plus” give the user unlimited “swipes” — opportunities to match with other users — as well as the ability to “swipe” in faraway places rather than just your local area. You can also “rewind” if you accidentally swipe left (dislike) a beau you meant to swipe right on. A subscription will run you $9.99 a month, or $19.99 if you’re over 30.

At an estimated 500,000 paid subscribers, 1% of users are already paying for the service, which debuted in March, each month. That’s not too shabby.

IAC/InterActiveCorp Chairman and media legend Barry Diller has helmed a number of successful spinoffs over the years, including Expedia (EXPE), Lendingtree (TREE), Live Nation (LYV), and HSN (HSN), to name a few.

The bottom line? If you’re bullish on Tinder or online dating in general, IACI stock is the way to play it — until later this year. If you can stand to wait, the Match Group IPO will give you the purest way to invest in the flaming-hot Tinder.

As of this writing, John Divine did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. You can follow him on Twitter at @divinebizkid or email him at editor@investorplace.com.

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Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2015/08/its-a-match-how-you-can-invest-in-tinder/.

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