Medifast (NYSE:MED) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Zacks Research

Medifast (NYSE:MED) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on MED. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Medifast from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Medifast from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Medifast presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.00.

Medifast Stock Down 3.8%

Shares of NYSE MED opened at $10.62 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $11.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.13. Medifast has a 52-week low of $9.22 and a 52-week high of $15.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $118.04 million, a P/E ratio of -5.80 and a beta of 0.65.

Medifast (NYSE:MED) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The specialty retailer reported ($0.19) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.55) by $0.36. Medifast had a negative return on equity of 4.80% and a negative net margin of 5.78%.The company had revenue of $76.04 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.20 million. Medifast has set its FY 2026 guidance at -2.750–1.550 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at -1.000–0.500 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Medifast will post -1.97 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Medifast

In related news, Director Scott Schlackman purchased 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $12.53 per share, with a total value of $31,325.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 30,549 shares in the company, valued at approximately $382,778.97. This trade represents a 8.91% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Medifast by 103.1% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,338 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in Medifast in the third quarter valued at $37,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Medifast during the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Medifast during the fourth quarter valued at $59,000. Finally, Strs Ohio bought a new position in shares of Medifast during the first quarter worth about $78,000. 95.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Medifast Company Profile

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.