Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX – Free Report) by 288.7% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 137,613 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 102,210 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in MediaAlpha were worth $1,280,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MAX. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in MediaAlpha by 680.9% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,429,556 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,268,000 after acquiring an additional 1,246,493 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in MediaAlpha by 1,261.9% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 710,819 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,089,000 after purchasing an additional 658,625 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MediaAlpha during the 2nd quarter valued at $4,268,000. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of MediaAlpha by 831.7% during the 3rd quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC now owns 353,930 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,028,000 after purchasing an additional 315,943 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of MediaAlpha by 29.2% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,367,896 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,714,000 after purchasing an additional 309,455 shares during the period. 64.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
MediaAlpha News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting MediaAlpha this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings and revenue exceeded expectations. MediaAlpha reported adjusted earnings of $0.65 per share, well above the $0.21 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 26% year over year to a record $316.9 million, topping expectations of approximately $300.9 million. Net income reached $41.8 million and adjusted EBITDA was $29.3 million. MediaAlpha Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
- Positive Sentiment: Management projected continued growth. Third-quarter revenue guidance of $330 million to $355 million brackets or exceeds the roughly $332.4 million analyst consensus. The company also expects to generate $90 million to $100 million in free cash flow for 2026, supporting its financial flexibility. MediaAlpha Q3 Revenue and Free Cash Flow Guidance
- Positive Sentiment: Share repurchases may support the stock. MediaAlpha repurchased more than $41 million of its shares during the first half of 2026, potentially improving per-share value and signaling management confidence.
- Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target but maintained a neutral rating. The firm increased its target from $10 to $14, indicating limited implied upside from recent trading levels. The higher target recognizes improved operating results, while the unchanged neutral stance may restrain enthusiasm. Benzinga analyst update
- Neutral Sentiment: Director selling was tied to tax obligations. Director Eugene Nonko sold shares in several transactions totaling roughly 48,000 shares over July 27–29. The sales were conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax withholding from vested equity awards, and he continues to hold a substantial position, reducing the negative signal.
MediaAlpha Stock Performance
MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.44. The business had revenue of $316.88 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $300.87 million. MediaAlpha had a net margin of 7.94% and a negative return on equity of 235.09%. As a group, research analysts predict that MediaAlpha, Inc. will post 0.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity
In related news, Director Eugene Nonko sold 4,952 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.05, for a total transaction of $69,575.60. Following the sale, the director directly owned 860,862 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,095,111.10. This represents a 0.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 440,820 shares of company stock valued at $5,368,786 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 14.65% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of MediaAlpha from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of MediaAlpha from $13.00 to $11.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of MediaAlpha from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price target on shares of MediaAlpha from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded MediaAlpha from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $13.29.
View Our Latest Analysis on MediaAlpha
MediaAlpha Profile
MediaAlpha, Inc is a technology company that operates a real-time digital marketplace for the distribution of insurance and adjacent services. The company’s platform connects buyers—consumers seeking insurance policies—to sellers, including insurance carriers and distribution partners, through programmatic bidding and data-driven pricing. By leveraging transaction-level data and proprietary auction mechanics, MediaAlpha enables carriers to acquire customers more efficiently and at scale.
The firm offers a suite of products that help clients optimize marketing spend and improve conversion rates.
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