Medifast (NYSE:MED) CEO Acquires $178,724.58 in Stock

Medifast Inc (NYSE:MED) CEO Daniel Chard acquired 17,678 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of $10.11 per share, with a total value of $178,724.58. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $178,724.58. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Medifast Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of MED stock opened at $9.71 on Friday. Medifast Inc has a 1 year low of $9.22 and a 1 year high of $15.46. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $10.72 and its 200-day moving average is $11.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.69 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.68 and a beta of 0.52.

Medifast (NYSE:MED) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The specialty retailer reported ($0.55) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.76) by $0.21. Medifast had a negative net margin of 4.84% and a negative return on equity of 4.27%. The business had revenue of $75.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $71.40 million. Medifast has set its FY 2026 guidance at -2.750–1.55 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at -0.700–0.15 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Medifast Inc will post 0.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MED shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Medifast from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Medifast in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Stephens lowered their price objective on Medifast from $15.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Medifast currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $12.00.

Institutional Trading of Medifast

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Medifast during the fourth quarter worth about $139,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Medifast by 11.1% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 44,773 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $478,000 after acquiring an additional 4,462 shares during the period. Man Group plc increased its holdings in shares of Medifast by 10.8% in the fourth quarter. Man Group plc now owns 236,500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,526,000 after acquiring an additional 23,070 shares in the last quarter. Trexquant Investment LP increased its holdings in shares of Medifast by 88.0% in the fourth quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 126,959 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,356,000 after acquiring an additional 59,439 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of Medifast by 24.4% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 22,905 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 4,500 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.51% of the company’s stock.

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.