Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Middleby’s Q2 2027 earnings at $2.41 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.38 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $9.22 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on MIDD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Middleby from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Middleby in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Middleby in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on shares of Middleby from $171.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Barclays set a $168.00 price objective on shares of Middleby and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.83.

Middleby Price Performance

MIDD traded up $0.95 during trading on Monday, reaching $148.58. 110,686 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 722,591. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $7.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -33.77 and a beta of 1.39. Middleby has a 12-month low of $110.82 and a 12-month high of $182.73. The company’s 50-day moving average is $140.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $136.48.

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The industrial products company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $982.13 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $961.21 million. Middleby had a negative net margin of 5.22% and a positive return on equity of 14.66%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.33 earnings per share. Middleby has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.990-9.140 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.190-2.340 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Middleby will post 9.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Middleby news, Director Robert A. Nerbonne purchased 780 shares of Middleby stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were bought at an average price of $128.52 per share, for a total transaction of $100,245.60. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 21,471 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,759,452.92. This trade represents a 3.77% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 6.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Middleby

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. M&T Bank Corp bought a new stake in shares of Middleby during the 4th quarter valued at about $15,085,000. Optas LLC lifted its stake in shares of Middleby by 19.6% in the 4th quarter. Optas LLC now owns 1,921 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $286,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd grew its stake in Middleby by 58.3% in the fourth quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 668 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $99,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Middleby by 61.5% in the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 2,646 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $393,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wright Investors Service Inc. purchased a new position in Middleby during the fourth quarter valued at $672,000. Institutional investors own 98.55% of the company’s stock.

Middleby Company Profile

Middleby Corporation is a global manufacturer and distributor of commercial foodservice and food processing equipment. The company designs, engineers and markets a wide range of cooking, baking, refrigeration, warewashing, holding and dispensing solutions. Middleby’s products serve restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, institutional cafeterias, cruise ships and other foodservice operators.

The company’s portfolio spans multiple well-known brands, including Blodgett ovens, TurboChef rapid?cook ovens, Southbend ranges and broilers, Pitco fryers, and Viking residential and commercial kitchen appliances.