MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX) Sets New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

Shares of MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $13.85 and last traded at $13.72, with a volume of 188507 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.26.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MAX. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $15.00 price target on shares of MediaAlpha in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded MediaAlpha from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on MediaAlpha from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of MediaAlpha in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on MediaAlpha from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $17.25.

MediaAlpha Stock Up 2.0%

The firm has a market cap of $918.55 million, a PE ratio of -449.98 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $11.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.72.

MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $306.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $283.30 million. MediaAlpha had a negative return on equity of 71.02% and a negative net margin of 0.10%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.17 earnings per share. MediaAlpha has set its Q4 2025 guidance at EPS. Research analysts forecast that MediaAlpha, Inc. will post 0.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CRO Keith Cramer sold 20,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.73, for a total transaction of $194,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive owned 167,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,626,856. This trade represents a 10.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Kathy P. Vrabeck acquired 31,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $9.60 per share, for a total transaction of $297,600.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 129,657 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,244,707.20. This represents a 31.42% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 29,669 shares of company stock worth $297,873. 11.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MediaAlpha

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAX. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in MediaAlpha by 54.2% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 42,298 shares of the company’s stock worth $381,000 after buying an additional 14,871 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in MediaAlpha in the first quarter valued at $150,000. Arizona State Retirement System purchased a new stake in MediaAlpha in the first quarter valued at $95,000. CWM LLC raised its position in MediaAlpha by 151.8% in the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 16,523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $153,000 after purchasing an additional 9,962 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its position in MediaAlpha by 148.4% in the first quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 26,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $243,000 after purchasing an additional 15,705 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.39% of the company’s stock.

About MediaAlpha

MediaAlpha, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates an insurance customer acquisition platform in the United States. It optimizes customer acquisition in various verticals of property and casualty insurance, health insurance, and life insurance. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.