MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX) Stock Now Rated “Moderate Buy” by Wall Street Analysts

MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nine analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $14.71.

MAX has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MediaAlpha from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on MediaAlpha from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings raised MediaAlpha from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on MediaAlpha from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of MediaAlpha from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday.

Key Headlines Impacting MediaAlpha

Here are the key news stories impacting MediaAlpha this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 guidance exceeded expectations: MediaAlpha forecast fourth-quarter 2026 revenue of $355 million to $375 million, well above the $328.8 million consensus estimate, while reiterating full-year free-cash-flow guidance of $90 million to $100 million. MediaAlpha Q4 revenue and free cash flow guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q3 performance: MediaAlpha reported adjusted earnings of $0.46 per share versus the $0.28 analyst estimate and revenue of $375.95 million versus the $347.93 million consensus. The results helped support the view that the company’s growth and profitability may be durable. MediaAlpha Q3 earnings and durability discussion
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved: Zacks upgraded MAX to Rank #2, or “Buy,” citing growing optimism about the company’s earnings prospects. Zacks upgrades MediaAlpha to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target from $15 to $16, implying additional upside, although it maintained a Neutral rating. JPMorgan raises MediaAlpha price target
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call focused on whether recent growth can persist, including questions about customer demand, operating performance and the durability of MediaAlpha’s earnings momentum. Investors may continue to scrutinize these factors after the sharp rally. MediaAlpha Q3 earnings call analyst questions
• Negative Sentiment: Director Eugene Nonko sold shares in several transactions under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The sales were made to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards and represent relatively small reductions, making them a limited—but potentially cautionary—signal.

MediaAlpha Trading Down 0.6%

MAX opened at $14.66 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $10.65. MediaAlpha has a twelve month low of $7.09 and a twelve month high of $14.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $898.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.05 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.49.

MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.18. MediaAlpha had a net margin of 8.35% and a negative return on equity of 994.23%. The company had revenue of $375.95 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $347.93 million. Analysts predict that MediaAlpha will post 1.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at MediaAlpha

In related news, CRO Keith Cramer sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.39, for a total value of $136,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive directly owned 239,303 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,725,661.17. This represents a 4.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Eugene Nonko sold 7,273 shares of MediaAlpha stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.63, for a total transaction of $84,584.99. Following the sale, the director owned 789,901 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,186,548.63. This represents a 0.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold 342,063 shares of company stock worth $4,095,157 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 14.65% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MAX. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of MediaAlpha by 21.2% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 5,788 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,011 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its position in MediaAlpha by 9,917.9% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,805 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 2,777 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of MediaAlpha by 23.2% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 19,473 shares of the company’s stock valued at $181,000 after buying an additional 3,668 shares during the period. State of Wyoming boosted its stake in shares of MediaAlpha by 10.7% during the first quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 43,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 4,169 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of MediaAlpha by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 47,885 shares of the company’s stock valued at $435,000 after purchasing an additional 4,935 shares during the last quarter. 64.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MediaAlpha Company Profile

MediaAlpha, Inc operates a technology platform that helps insurance carriers and distributors acquire customers through digital channels. Its marketplace connects consumers who are shopping for insurance with providers seeking qualified prospects, using data, analytics and automated systems to facilitate the matching process.

The company’s platform supports customer acquisition across insurance categories, including property and casualty products such as auto and home insurance, as well as health, life and Medicare-related coverage.