Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX)

MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders acquired 6,034 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 2,239% compared to the typical volume of 258 call options.

MediaAlpha News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting MediaAlpha this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat — MediaAlpha reported EPS of $0.50 versus the $0.25 consensus, signalling stronger profitability than expected; investors often reward EPS beats with buying interest. GlobeNewswire Release
• Positive Sentiment: Share buyback boost — the board doubled the repurchase authorization to $100 million, which supports the stock by increasing potential buybacks and returning capital. GlobeNewswire Release
• Positive Sentiment: Record transaction value and strong full‑year metrics — Q4 transaction value hit $613M and full‑year transaction value was $2.2B, with record P&C performance, supporting growth narrative. GlobeNewswire Release
• Positive Sentiment: Upbeat Q1 transaction guidance — management expects $570M–$595M in Q1 transaction value and ~35% P&C growth, highlighting continued marketplace momentum and AI-driven expansion. Seeking Alpha Preview
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow — a large block of ~6,034 call options was traded (≈2,239% above average), indicating speculative or hedged bullish interest that can amplify intraday moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst view mixed — several brokers trimmed price targets (JPMorgan from $15 to $11; Keefe Bruyette & Woods from $19 to $16) but kept constructive ratings (overweight/outperform), which tempers enthusiasm but preserves institutional support. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates — Q4 revenue was $291.15M versus consensus ~$296.4M and revenue was down ~3.2% YoY, a short-term weakness investors may weigh against the EPS beat. MarketBeat / Earnings

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of MediaAlpha from $13.50 to $11.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded MediaAlpha from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of MediaAlpha from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of MediaAlpha in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of MediaAlpha in a report on Monday, December 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.58.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CTO Kuanling Amy Yeh sold 12,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.49, for a total value of $161,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 402,662 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,431,910.38. The trade was a 2.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Steven Yi sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.50, for a total transaction of $108,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 2,903,330 shares in the company, valued at $39,194,955. This trade represents a 0.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 474,900 shares of company stock valued at $5,569,954. Company insiders own 11.53% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MediaAlpha

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of MediaAlpha by 5,900.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 2,124 shares during the period. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in MediaAlpha during the fourth quarter worth about $49,000. Quarry LP grew its holdings in MediaAlpha by 43.3% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 4,087 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,234 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of MediaAlpha by 28.0% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,551 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 1,213 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of MediaAlpha during the second quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.39% of the company’s stock.

MediaAlpha Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MAX traded up $0.58 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $9.55. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 362,118 shares, compared to its average volume of 842,495. MediaAlpha has a 12 month low of $7.09 and a 12 month high of $13.92. The stock has a market cap of $622.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.68 and a beta of 1.29. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $11.41.

MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.25. MediaAlpha had a net margin of 2.30% and a negative return on equity of 117.28%. The business had revenue of $291.16 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $296.42 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.08 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MediaAlpha will post 0.48 EPS for the current year.

MediaAlpha Company Profile

MediaAlpha, Inc is a technology company that operates a real-time digital marketplace for the distribution of insurance and adjacent services. The company’s platform connects buyers—consumers seeking insurance policies—to sellers, including insurance carriers and distribution partners, through programmatic bidding and data-driven pricing. By leveraging transaction-level data and proprietary auction mechanics, MediaAlpha enables carriers to acquire customers more efficiently and at scale.

The firm offers a suite of products that help clients optimize marketing spend and improve conversion rates.