Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Acquires 300,577 Shares of The Middleby Corporation $MIDD

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ:MIDD) by 804.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 337,939 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 300,577 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Middleby were worth $50,241,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Middleby by 1,046.4% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,018,536 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $135,394,000 after acquiring an additional 929,688 shares during the period. SG Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Middleby in the 3rd quarter worth $55,260,000. Cooke & Bieler LP purchased a new stake in Middleby in the 4th quarter worth $48,113,000. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Middleby by 260.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 419,936 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $55,822,000 after buying an additional 303,293 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Middleby during the fourth quarter valued at about $43,240,000. 98.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Middleby Stock Performance

Shares of Middleby stock opened at $154.93 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $7.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.27 and a beta of 1.36. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $144.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $145.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The Middleby Corporation has a twelve month low of $110.82 and a twelve month high of $169.44.

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.22. Middleby had a positive return on equity of 15.94% and a negative net margin of 11.46%.The company had revenue of $839.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $777.19 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.08 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. Middleby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.540-9.700 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.270-2.390 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Middleby Corporation will post 9.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on MIDD shares. Robert W. Baird set a $205.00 price objective on Middleby in a research report on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Middleby from $150.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 target price on shares of Middleby in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Middleby in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Middleby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $189.71.

About Middleby

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.