CHARLOTTE – LendingTree reported a big loss – $24.6 million – for its most recent quarter as the pandemic pounded some of its business offerings. But CEO Doug Lebda said he re mains confident that better times are ahead.

“I’m incredibly proud of the resiliency our Company has shown during this difficult period,” Lebda said in a statement.

“While some of our businesses have been challenged as a result of the pandemic, other businesses are thriving and we continue make great strides in enhancing our My LendingTree offering.  While 2020 has certainly not played out the way we expected, this period of time has given us an opportunity to renew our focus on strategy, innovation, and execution, and I’m increasingly confident in our market-leading position.”

Just a year ago LendingTree (TREE) had reported a profit. Then came the pandemic.

CFO J.D. Moriarty conceded “muted” customer demand.

“While demand from our partners remains muted in some of our key Consumer verticals, we’re encouraged by the momentum we’ve seen over the last few months.,” hje said,

“Our Home segment is solid, and Insurance performed particularly well in the third quarter.  The merits of the diversification we’ve put in place have never been more apparent, and we’re using that strength to position the company to excel in 2021 and beyond.”

LendingTree sets several financial bests in latest quarter

The Charlotte-based ecommerce and financial conglomerate said it had a loss of $1.89 per share. Losses, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 26 cents per share.

The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 15 cents per share.

The mortgage lending service provider posted revenue of $220.3 million in the period, which beat Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $207.8 million.

For the current quarter ending in December, Tree.com said it expects revenue in the range of $200 million to $215 million.

Tree.com shares have climbed 15% since the beginning of the year. The stock has fallen nearly 10% in the last 12 months.

You can read the full financial report online.