Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Strong-Buy Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Middleby’s Q2 2027 earnings at $2.45 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.43 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $9.37 EPS.

MIDD has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays set a $168.00 target price on Middleby and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price objective on shares of Middleby from $171.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Middleby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Wolfe Research set a $163.00 price target on shares of Middleby and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 4th. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Middleby in a research report on Friday, December 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $161.33.

Middleby Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of MIDD opened at $150.90 on Monday. Middleby has a twelve month low of $110.82 and a twelve month high of $182.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.60 billion, a P/E ratio of -34.29 and a beta of 1.39. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $129.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $135.69.

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The industrial products company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $982.13 million during 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 last year, the firm earned $2.33 EPS. Middleby has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.990-9.140 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.190-2.340 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Middleby will post 9.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Middleby news, Director Robert A. Nerbonne purchased 780 shares of Middleby stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were bought at an average price of $128.52 per share, with a total value of $100,245.60. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 21,471 shares in the company, valued at $2,759,452.92. This trade represents a 3.77% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.18% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Middleby

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ancora Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Middleby in the 1st quarter worth about $2,707,000. Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of Middleby by 34.9% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 501,718 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $71,329,000 after acquiring an additional 129,864 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Middleby by 90.3% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 432 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in Middleby in the first quarter valued at approximately $819,000. Finally, United Services Automobile Association purchased a new stake in Middleby in the first quarter valued at approximately $544,000. 98.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Middleby

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.