Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

MIDD has been the subject of several other reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Middleby in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research cut Middleby from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Middleby from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price target on shares of Middleby in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group set a $200.00 price target on Middleby in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Middleby currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.71.

Middleby Price Performance

Shares of MIDD stock opened at $143.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.96 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The company has a market cap of $6.69 billion, a P/E ratio of -16.93 and a beta of 1.34. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $142.40 and its 200 day moving average is $142.66. Middleby has a 1-year low of $110.82 and a 1-year high of $169.44.

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.22. Middleby had a positive return on equity of 15.94% and a negative net margin of 11.46%.The business had revenue of $839.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $777.19 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.08 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. Middleby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.540-9.700 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.270-2.390 EPS. Research analysts predict that Middleby will post 9.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Middleby

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MIDD. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Middleby in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Middleby by 201.8% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 166 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Middleby by 1,292.9% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 195 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in Middleby in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Middleby in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. 98.55% of the stock is 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.