Robert W. Baird Issues Positive Forecast for Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) Stock Price

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) had its price objective raised by Robert W. Baird from $159.00 to $197.00 in a research report report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on MIDD. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Middleby in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Middleby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $187.00 price objective on Middleby and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. KeyCorp increased their target price on Middleby from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Middleby from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.17.

Middleby Price Performance

NASDAQ:MIDD traded up $1.86 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $168.86. The company had a trading volume of 829,125 shares, compared to its average volume of 553,103. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $154.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $139.50. Middleby has a one year low of $110.82 and a one year high of $169.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.51 billion, a PE ratio of -29.47 and a beta of 1.40.

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The industrial products company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $866.43 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. Middleby had a negative net margin of 7.44% and a positive return on equity of 13.88%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.88 EPS. Middleby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.200-9.360 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.900-2.020 EPS. Analysts forecast that Middleby will post 9.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Middleby

In related news, Director Robert A. Nerbonne purchased 780 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were bought at an average price of $128.52 per share, with a total value of $100,245.60. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 21,471 shares in the company, valued at $2,759,452.92. This trade represents a 3.77% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 6.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Middleby

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Middleby in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Middleby by 201.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 166 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Middleby in the third quarter worth $27,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Middleby by 1,292.9% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 195 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of Middleby by 168.8% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 207 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.55% of the company’s stock.

Middleby News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Middleby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised targets and ratings — Robert W. Baird raised its price target to $197 (outperform) and KeyCorp boosted its target to $190 (overweight); street research upgraded forecasts after the results. These upgrades helped lift sentiment. Analysts Boost Forecasts After Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat — Middleby reported $2.42 EPS vs. consensus $2.27, showing underlying profitability strength that supported the stock despite other headwinds. MIDD Beats Q4 Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: New Smart Kitchen Innovation Centre — Middleby launched a Smart Kitchen Innovation Centre, signaling continued investment in product R&D and commercial tech that could drive future wins in foodservice and OEM channels. Smart Kitchen Innovation Centre
• Positive Sentiment: Food‑processing spin‑off leadership named — Middleby named Mark Salman CEO and Mark Bowie COO of the Food Processing business ahead of its planned Q2 2026 separation, a structural move that could unlock value for shareholders. Leadership for Food Processing Spin‑off
• Neutral Sentiment: Updated 2026 revenue target and portfolio optimization — Management outlined a 2026 revenue target of $3.27B–$3.36B as it accelerates portfolio optimization; this clarifies the plan but is lower than some prior street expectations. 2026 Revenue Target & Portfolio Plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials posted — Full earnings transcript and slide deck are available for investors who want to dig into segment details and management commentary. Q4 Earnings Transcript & Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and soft revenue guidance — Q4 sales of $866.4M missed the ~$1.01B consensus, and management set Q1 revenue guidance ($760M–$788M) and FY revenue guidance (~$3.3B–$3.4B) well below analyst estimates, which could limit upside until top‑line recovery is visible. Revenue Miss & Soft Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability nuance — The company reported a negative net margin (reported -5.22%) despite the EPS beat, a metric investors will watch as revenue headwinds and integration costs from portfolio actions play out. Earnings Summary & Metrics

Middleby Company 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.