Lendingtree, Inc
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LENDINGTREE, INC. FORM 10-K (Annual Report) Filed 02/28/17 for the Period Ending 12/31/16 Address 11115 RUSHMORE DRIVE CHARLOTTE, NC 28277 Telephone 704-943-8942 CIK 0001434621 Symbol TREE SIC Code 6163 - Loan Brokers Industry Consumer Lending Sector Financials Fiscal Year 12/31 http://www.edgar-online.com © Copyright 2017, EDGAR Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distribution and use of this document restricted under EDGAR Online, Inc. Terms of Use. Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 __________________________________________________ FORM 10-K __________________________________________________ (Mark One) ý ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016 or o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File No. 001-34063 __________________________________________________ LendingTree, Inc. (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of 26-2414818 incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) 11115 Rushmore Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277 (Address of principal executive offices) (704) 541-5351 (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of Each Class Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value The NASDAQ Stock Market Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ý No o Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No ý Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý No o Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ý No o Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer o Accelerated filer ý Non-accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No ý The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of June 30, 2016 was approximately $629 million . For the purposes of the foregoing calculation only, all directors and executive officers of the Registrant and the single stockholder who owns in excess of 20% of the voting common stock are assumed to be affiliates of the Registrant. As of February 23, 2017 , there were 11,839,736 shares of the Registrant's common stock, par value $.01 per share, outstanding. Documents Incorporated By Reference: Portions of the Registrant's proxy statement for its 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III herein. Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART I Item 1. Business 3 Item 1A. Risk Factors 9 Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 21 Item 2. Properties 21 Item 3. Legal Proceedings 22 Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 22 PART II Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 23 Item 6. Selected Financial Data 26 Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 28 Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 39 Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 40 Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 74 Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 74 Item 9B. Other Information 75 PART III Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 76 Item 11. Executive Compensation 76 Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 76 Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 76 Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 76 PART IV Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 77 Item 16. Form 10-K Summary 81 Table of Contents CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 (the "Annual Report") contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements related to our anticipated financial performance, business prospects and strategy; anticipated trends and prospects in the various industries in which our businesses operate; new products, services and related strategies; and other similar matters. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events, which are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. The use of words such as "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "intends," "plans" and "believes," among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include those matters discussed below, including in Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors. Other unknown or unpredictable factors that could also adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations may arise from time to time. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking statements discussed in this report may not prove to be accurate. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which only reflect the views of LendingTree, Inc.'s management as of the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results or expectations, except as required by law. PART I ITEM 1. Business Our Company LendingTree, Inc. ("LendingTree", the "Company", "we" or "us") operates what we believe to be the leading online loan marketplace for consumers seeking loans and other credit-based offerings. Our online marketplace provides consumers with access to product offerings from over 450 active lenders (which we refer to as "Network Lenders"), including mortgage loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, reverse mortgage loans, auto loans, credit cards, personal loans, student loans, small business loans and other related offerings. In addition, we offer tools and resources, including free credit scores, that facilitate comparison shopping for these loans and other credit-based offerings. We seek to match consumers with multiple lenders, who can provide them with competing quotes for the product they are seeking. By providing consumers access to a broad array of credit-based offerings directly from multiple lenders, rather than just multiple quotes from the same lender or indirectly through intermediaries, we believe our marketplace is differentiated from other providers operating loan comparison-shopping marketplaces. Our strategically designed and executed advertising and marketing campaigns (which we refer to as performance marketing) span a wide array of digital and traditional media acquisition channels and promote our LendingTree and other brands and product offerings. Our marketing efforts are designed to attract consumers to our websites and toll-free telephone numbers. Interested consumers complete inquiry forms, providing detailed information about themselves and the loans or other offerings they are seeking. We refer to such consumer inquiries as loan requests. We then match these loan requests with lenders in our marketplace that are seeking to serve these consumers' needs. We generate revenue from these lenders, generally at the time of transmitting a loan request to them, in the form of a match fee. In certain