Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) Releases Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.900-2.020 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.960. The company issued revenue guidance of $760.0 million-$788.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $932.3 million. Middleby also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 9.200-9.360 EPS.

Middleby Price Performance

MIDD traded up $9.72 on Thursday, hitting $167.50. 867,653 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 653,583. Middleby has a one year low of $110.82 and a one year high of $168.85. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $154.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $138.96. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $8.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -38.21 and a beta of 1.40.

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The industrial products company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $866.43 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. Middleby had a negative net margin of 5.22% and a positive return on equity of 14.66%. Middleby’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.88 earnings per share. Middleby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.200-9.360 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.900-2.020 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Middleby will post 9.11 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MIDD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Middleby in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research lowered Middleby from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Middleby from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Middleby in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Barclays set a $168.00 target price on Middleby and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at Middleby

In other news, Director Robert A. Nerbonne bought 780 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $128.52 per share, with a total value of $100,245.60. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 21,471 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,759,452.92. This trade represents a 3.77% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 6.18% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Middleby

Here are the key news stories impacting Middleby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat — Middleby reported $2.42 EPS versus the consensus $2.27, showing profit resilience despite year‑over‑year softness. Middleby (MIDD) Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Food Processing spin-off leadership named — Middleby appointed Mark Salman as CEO and Mark Bowie as COO of the Food Processing Group ahead of its planned independent public company listing in Q2, a corporate‑structure move that could unlock shareholder value. Middleby Names Mark Salman to Lead Food Processing Business
• Positive Sentiment: Lower short interest and new institutional buying — Short interest fell ~19% in February and AYAL Capital initiated a sizable position, reducing immediate short pressure and signaling renewed institutional appetite. What’s Behind a New $6.5 Million Bet on Middleby
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue grew year‑over‑year (about +4.5%) — Net sales rose modestly, showing demand improvement versus prior year, but the top‑line strength was below analysts’ forecasts. The Middleby Corp Net Sales Grow 5% in Q4
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call & slide deck published — Management commentary and slides are available for deeper read on margin drivers, backlog and the spin‑off timetable. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Q4 Results Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed consensus materially — Q4 revenue was ~$866M versus analysts’ ~ $1.01B estimate, a shortfall investors flagged as a concern for near‑term top‑line momentum. Middleby Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance below Street — Middleby set FY 2026 revenue guidance ~$3.3–3.4B and Q1 revenue $760–788M, both well under consensus; EPS guidance (FY and Q1) is roughly in line to modestly below expectations, leaving investors worried about growth visibility. Middleby (MIDD) Reports Q4 Earnings: Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Immediate market commentary focused on the revenue miss — Some outlets noted the stock initially dipped on the top‑line miss despite the EPS beat, reflecting investor sensitivity to the guidance and sales shortfall. Middleby stock edges down on revenue miss

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Middleby during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of Middleby by 135.6% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 245 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Middleby during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Middleby by 280.2% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Middleby by 90.3% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 432 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. 98.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.