Daniel Chard Buys 17,678 Shares of Medifast (NYSE:MED) Stock

Medifast Inc (NYSE:MED) CEO Daniel Chard acquired 17,678 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $10.11 per share, for a total transaction of $178,724.58. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $178,724.58. This trade represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Medifast Stock Performance

Medifast stock opened at $9.71 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $106.69 million, a P/E ratio of -5.68 and a beta of 0.52. Medifast Inc has a one year low of $9.22 and a one year high of $15.46. The business has a fifty day moving average of $10.72 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.65.

Medifast (NYSE:MED) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The specialty retailer reported ($0.55) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.76) by $0.21. Medifast had a negative net margin of 4.84% and a negative return on equity of 4.27%. The business had revenue of $75.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $71.40 million. Medifast has set its FY 2026 guidance at -2.750–1.55 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at -0.700–0.15 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Medifast Inc will post 0.51 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Medifast

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Peapod Lane Capital LLC raised its position in Medifast by 1.1% during the third quarter. Peapod Lane Capital LLC now owns 88,164 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,205,000 after acquiring an additional 970 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Medifast by 103.1% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,338 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares during the last quarter. Man Group plc grew its position in shares of Medifast by 0.6% in the second quarter. Man Group plc now owns 198,156 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,784,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Medifast by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 53,341 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $749,000 after purchasing an additional 1,316 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Medifast by 261.8% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,001 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,448 shares in the last quarter. 95.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MED. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Medifast in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Medifast from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. Finally, Stephens dropped their price objective on Medifast from $15.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $12.00.

About Medifast

Medifast, Inc (NYSE: MED) is a health and wellness company specializing in clinically supported weight-loss, weight-management and healthy living products and services. Through its OPTAVIA brand, the company offers a range of meal replacement products, snacks, supplements and coaching programs designed to support metabolic health and sustainable lifestyle changes. Medifast markets its products directly to consumers via a network of independent distributors—known as OPTAVIA Coaches—who provide personalized guidance and support throughout the client’s weight?loss journey.

Founded in 1980 by William Vitale and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Medifast has grown into a nationally recognized provider of nutrition and weight?management solutions.