US stocks: Bumble shares surge 52% on reports of $1 billion privatisation talks
Bumble is in advanced talks to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings in a deal that values the dating app operator at roughly $1 billion, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.Shares of Bumble rose around 52% to $3.86. Reuters exclusively reported earlier this year that Bumble is exploring a sale amid slowing growth in the online dating sector.Bumble and Ithaca Holdings did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.As of Friday's close, Bumble had a market valuation of roughly $389 million. Shares of the company, based in Austin, Texas, had fallen nearly 29% this year.Bumble and larger rival Match Group, which owns Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid, have been under pressure in a crowded market grappling with weaker user engagement, particularly from younger Gen Z users tired of endless swiping.Founded in 2014 by CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble pioneered the "women-first" approach to online dating.Under Wolfe Herd, who returned to the CEO role i...