Zacks Research Has Bearish Outlook for Medifast Q1 Earnings

Medifast Inc (NYSE:MED) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for Medifast in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the specialty retailer will post earnings per share of ($0.55) for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of ($0.12). The consensus estimate for Medifast’s current full-year earnings is $0.51 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Medifast’s Q2 2026 earnings at ($0.42) EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at ($0.35) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.68) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($2.00) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at ($0.52) EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at ($0.40) EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at ($0.33) EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($0.65) EPS and FY2027 earnings at ($1.90) EPS.

Medifast (NYSE:MED) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The specialty retailer reported ($0.55) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.76) by $0.21. The business had revenue of $75.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $71.40 million. Medifast had a negative net margin of 4.84% and a negative return on equity of 4.27%. Medifast has set its FY 2026 guidance at -2.750–1.55 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at -0.700–0.15 EPS.

MED has been the subject of several other reports. Stephens cut their price objective on Medifast from $15.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Medifast in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Medifast from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Medifast has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $12.00.

Medifast Trading Down 5.7%

Shares of Medifast stock opened at $10.12 on Thursday. Medifast has a twelve month low of $10.04 and a twelve month high of $15.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $111.22 million, a PE ratio of -5.92 and a beta of 0.52. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $11.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $12.01.

Institutional Trading of Medifast

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Medifast by 261.8% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,001 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,448 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Medifast by 103.1% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,338 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Medifast during the third quarter worth about $37,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Medifast during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new position in Medifast during the fourth quarter worth about $59,000. 95.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Medifast

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.