Bumble Inc. (NASDAQ:BMBL) is in advanced talks to go private at a valuation of roughly $1 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. Ithaca Holdings is the prospective buyer, and a deal could arrive as soon as this week, the Journal reported.
The news sent shares up 46.46% to $3.72 in Monday afternoon trading, compared with Friday’s close of $2.54, per Benzinga Pro data.
The stock touched $3.97 during the session, and more than 17.7 million shares changed hands, roughly 7.5 times the average daily volume of about 2.4 million.
- BMBL stock is soaring. See the chart and price action here.
Bumble Rips Higher, Still Down 91% Since Its IPO
The rally arrives after a brutal run for Bumble shareholders. The company priced its IPO at $43 a share in February 2021, and the stock opened at $76 on its first trading day, the Journal reported at the time.
Even with Monday’s surge, shares sit about 91% below that IPO price. Bumble’s market value stands near $485 million. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $2.44 and $5.96, per Benzinga Pro market data.
Bumble’s Future in Focus as Buyout Chatter Builds
Reuters reported in June that Bumble was working with Morgan Stanley on a possible sale as growth slowed across online dating.
Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) owned about 22% of the company at the time, citing LSEG data. Blackstone affiliates had also sold $28.2 million of Bumble stock that month, Reuters noted.
Blackstone took a majority stake in Bumble’s parent, then called MagicLab, in 2019 in a deal valuing the business at about $3 billion, the Journal reported.
Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd dodged the question of a take-private in a May interview with Axios.
“We are always exploring what’s best for the shareholders,” she said. “I obviously cannot comment on what the structural future of the company would or would not be.”
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Turnaround in Progress
Wolfe Herd returned as CEO in March 2025 after stepping away from the role, and she has pitched an overhaul of the app. Shares jumped in March after fourth-quarter revenue topped estimates on early signs of progress.
What Traders Are Watching
The reported $1 billion figure sits well above Bumble’s current market value. Any per-share offer will set the ceiling for the stock and decide how much upside is left. Board approval, Blackstone’s position and financing terms are the next hurdles.
BMBL Stock Price Activity: Bumble stock was up 50.00% at $3.81 at the time of publication Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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