Medifast (NYSE:MED) Lowered to Hold Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of Medifast (NYSE:MED) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Medifast in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $12.00.

Medifast Stock Performance

Shares of MED stock opened at $11.58 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $10.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.06. Medifast has a 52-week low of $9.22 and a 52-week high of $14.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $129.48 million, a P/E ratio of -4.97 and a beta of 0.65.

Medifast (NYSE:MED) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The specialty retailer reported ($0.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.65) by $0.37. Medifast had a negative return on equity of 6.69% and a negative net margin of 8.08%.The company had revenue of $76.38 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Medifast will post -1 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Medifast during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,920,000. Lido Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Medifast in the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,521,000. Steamboat Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Medifast in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,952,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Medifast by 30.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 776,829 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $8,297,000 after purchasing an additional 181,618 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Medifast by 37.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 396,369 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $5,569,000 after purchasing an additional 107,854 shares during the period. 95.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.