Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) Updates 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MIDD shares. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Middleby from $159.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Middleby in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Middleby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Middleby from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of Middleby from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.17.

Middleby Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of MIDD opened at $168.86 on Friday. 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 $8.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -29.47 and a beta of 1.40. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $154.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $139.50. Middleby has a 12 month low of $110.82 and a 12 month high of $169.44.

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The industrial products company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $866.43 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. Middleby had a positive return on equity of 13.88% and a negative net margin of 7.44%.The business’s revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.88 EPS. Middleby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.200-9.360 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.900-2.020 EPS. Analysts predict that Middleby will post 9.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert A. Nerbonne purchased 780 shares of Middleby stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $128.52 per share, for a total transaction of $100,245.60. Following the transaction, 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 acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 6.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Middleby

Here are the key news stories impacting Middleby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised targets and ratings — Robert W. Baird raised its price target to $197 (outperform) and KeyCorp boosted its target to $190 (overweight); street research upgraded forecasts after the results. These upgrades helped lift sentiment. Analysts Boost Forecasts After Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat — Middleby reported $2.42 EPS vs. consensus $2.27, showing underlying profitability strength that supported the stock despite other headwinds. MIDD Beats Q4 Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: New Smart Kitchen Innovation Centre — Middleby launched a Smart Kitchen Innovation Centre, signaling continued investment in product R&D and commercial tech that could drive future wins in foodservice and OEM channels. Smart Kitchen Innovation Centre
• Positive Sentiment: Food‑processing spin‑off leadership named — Middleby named Mark Salman CEO and Mark Bowie COO of the Food Processing business ahead of its planned Q2 2026 separation, a structural move that could unlock value for shareholders. Leadership for Food Processing Spin‑off
• Neutral Sentiment: Updated 2026 revenue target and portfolio optimization — Management outlined a 2026 revenue target of $3.27B–$3.36B as it accelerates portfolio optimization; this clarifies the plan but is lower than some prior street expectations. 2026 Revenue Target & Portfolio Plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials posted — Full earnings transcript and slide deck are available for investors who want to dig into segment details and management commentary. Q4 Earnings Transcript & Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and soft revenue guidance — Q4 sales of $866.4M missed the ~$1.01B consensus, and management set Q1 revenue guidance ($760M–$788M) and FY revenue guidance (~$3.3B–$3.4B) well below analyst estimates, which could limit upside until top‑line recovery is visible. Revenue Miss & Soft Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability nuance — The company reported a negative net margin (reported -5.22%) despite the EPS beat, a metric investors will watch as revenue headwinds and integration costs from portfolio actions play out. Earnings Summary & Metrics

Institutional Trading of Middleby

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Morningstar Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Middleby in the 3rd quarter valued at $508,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Middleby by 101.6% in the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 4,210 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $626,000 after buying an additional 2,122 shares in the last quarter. &PARTNERS boosted its position in Middleby by 74.8% during the fourth quarter. &PARTNERS now owns 4,101 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $610,000 after acquiring an additional 1,755 shares during the last quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new stake in Middleby in the 3rd quarter valued at about $548,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its stake in Middleby by 71.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 3,929 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $522,000 after purchasing an additional 1,632 shares in the last quarter. 98.55% of the stock is 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.