The Middleby Corporation $MIDD Shares Sold by Legal & General Group Plc

Legal & General Group Plc cut its stake in shares of The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ:MIDD) by 8.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 72,494 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 6,707 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc owned approximately 0.14% of Middleby worth $10,778,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Middleby during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in Middleby during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Middleby by 1,292.9% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 195 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Middleby by 135.6% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 245 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Middleby during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. 98.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Middleby Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MIDD opened at $156.22 on Thursday. The Middleby Corporation has a twelve month low of $110.82 and a twelve month high of $169.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $7.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.42 and a beta of 1.36. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $143.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $145.20.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period in the previous year, the business earned $2.08 EPS. The business’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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Middleby Corporation will post 9.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on MIDD shares. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 price target (up from $168.00) on shares of Middleby in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $205.00 price target on Middleby in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $200.00 price target on Middleby in a research report on Friday, May 8th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Middleby from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Middleby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Middleby currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.71.

Middleby Profile

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.