Key Points
- Insider buying: Director Parsa Kiai purchased 4,329 Medifast shares for $51,948 at $12 each, raising his direct holdings to 665,517 shares. He also bought more than 72,000 shares in two earlier August transactions.
- Quarterly results beat estimates: Medifast reported a quarterly loss of $0.28 per share versus the expected $0.65 loss, while revenue of $76.38 million exceeded estimates of $72.70 million. However, the company remains unprofitable and expects a full-year loss.
- Analyst sentiment remains cautious: The consensus rating is “Reduce,” with two analysts at Hold and one at Sell, and an average price target of $12.00. Medifast’s potential GLP-1 and metabolic-health strategy offers a possible growth avenue, but profitability concerns persist.
Medifast Inc (NYSE:MED - Get Free Report) Director Parsa Kiai acquired 4,329 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $12.00 per share, for a total transaction of $51,948.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 665,517 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,986,204. This trade represents a 0.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.
Parsa Kiai also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Thursday, August 20th, Parsa Kiai bought 43,150 shares of Medifast stock. The stock was bought at an average price of $11.60 per share, for a total transaction of $500,540.00.
- On Wednesday, August 19th, Parsa Kiai acquired 29,337 shares of Medifast stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.66 per share, with a total value of $342,069.42.
Medifast Trading Up 0.8%
NYSE:MED opened at $12.26 on Thursday. Medifast Inc has a 52 week low of $9.22 and a 52 week high of $14.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $137.07 million, a PE ratio of -5.26 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $10.96 and a 200-day moving average of $11.08.
Medifast (NYSE:MED - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The specialty retailer reported ($0.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.65) by $0.37. Medifast had a negative net margin of 8.08% and a negative return on equity of 6.69%. The business had revenue of $76.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.70 million. Medifast has set its FY 2026 guidance at -1.750--0.250 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at -0.650--0.150 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Medifast Inc will post -1.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research cut Medifast from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Medifast from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $12.00.
View Our Latest Stock Report on MED
More Medifast News
Here are the key news stories impacting Medifast this week:
- Positive Sentiment: GLP-1 and metabolic-health opportunity: Medifast’s Trilivy launch represents a strategic shift toward metabolic health, supported by a 10-year roadmap and a focus on the expanding GLP-1 treatment market. Investors may view this as a potential long-term growth avenue as weight-loss and metabolic-health treatments gain adoption. Can Medifast Capitalize on Rising GLP-1 Use With Metabolic Health?
- Positive Sentiment: Insider buying: Director Parsa Kiai purchased 4,329 shares for approximately $51,948 at an average price of $12.00, increasing his direct holdings to 665,517 shares. The purchase may signal confidence in Medifast’s turnaround prospects and provides a modest supportive signal for the stock. Medifast Director Insider Transaction
- Positive Sentiment: More favorable earnings forecasts: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to a loss of $1.04 from a loss of $1.97, FY2027 to a loss of $0.47 from $1.89, and FY2028 to a loss of $0.43 from $1.81. Several quarterly estimates were also sharply improved, suggesting analysts expect losses to narrow faster than previously anticipated. Medifast Rating Upgrade to Buy
- Neutral Sentiment: Rating upgrade: Zacks upgraded Medifast to Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting greater optimism about earnings prospects. However, Zacks Research separately maintains a “Hold” rating, indicating that analyst conviction remains mixed. Medifast Rating Upgrade to Buy
- Negative Sentiment: Profitability remains weak: Medifast is still expected to report losses, with consensus estimates near a $1.00 per-share loss for the current fiscal year. Its latest reported quarter also showed a negative EPS, net margin and return on equity, limiting the near-term fundamental support for the shares.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medifast
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Medifast by 103.1% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,338 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Medifast during the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Medifast during the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in Medifast in the fourth quarter valued at about $59,000. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Medifast in the first quarter worth about $78,000. 95.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Medifast
(
Get Free Report)
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.
See Also
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