MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX) Shares Gap Up After Earnings Beat

MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $11.72, but opened at $14.04. MediaAlpha shares last traded at $14.3460, with a volume of 401,332 shares changing hands.

The company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.18. MediaAlpha had a net margin of 7.94% and a negative return on equity of 301.42%. The firm had revenue of $375.95 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $347.93 million.

MediaAlpha News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting MediaAlpha this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record Q3 results exceeded expectations: MediaAlpha reported earnings of $0.46 per share, well above the $0.28 analyst consensus and up from $0.26 a year earlier. Revenue reached a record $375.9 million, up 23% year over year and ahead of the $347.9 million estimate. MediaAlpha Announces Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability also reached records: Third-quarter net income was $29.4 million, while adjusted EBITDA climbed to a record $39.5 million. Management said demand continued to broaden across its marketplace, supporting the positive market reaction. MediaAlpha beats expectations in strong Q3 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Sell-side brokerages collectively rate MAX “Moderate Buy,” offering additional support for the stock following the earnings beat. MediaAlpha stock rated Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Director sales were largely administrative: Director Eugene Nonko reported selling a combined 31,335 shares over several days. The transactions were executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax withholding tied to vested equity awards, reducing their signaling value; Nonko still retained a substantial position. Eugene Nonko insider transactions

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MAX shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded MediaAlpha from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $13.00 price objective on MediaAlpha in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings raised MediaAlpha from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $18.00 target price on shares of MediaAlpha in a report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of MediaAlpha from $11.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MediaAlpha has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $14.29.

Insider Activity at MediaAlpha

In other MediaAlpha news, insider Steven Yi sold 72,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.64, for a total value of $910,080.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 2,387,690 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,180,401.60. The trade was a 2.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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. Also, CRO Keith Cramer sold 13,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.76, for a total value of $165,880.00. Following the transaction, the executive owned 264,303 shares in the company, valued at $3,372,506.28. The trade was a 4.69% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 425,550 shares of company stock worth $5,148,791. Insiders own 14.65% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MediaAlpha

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of MediaAlpha in the third quarter valued at approximately $248,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in MediaAlpha in the third quarter valued at $109,000. Triad Investment Management raised its position in shares of MediaAlpha by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Triad Investment Management now owns 368,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,635,000 after purchasing an additional 34,867 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in shares of MediaAlpha by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 234,255 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,945,000 after buying an additional 18,714 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP grew its stake in MediaAlpha by 50.7% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 23,451 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 7,892 shares during the period. 64.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MediaAlpha Stock Up 23.2%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $11.23 and a 200 day moving average of $10.63. The firm has a market cap of $884.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.89 and a beta of 1.14.

MediaAlpha Company Profile

MediaAlpha, Inc operates a technology platform that helps insurance carriers and distributors acquire customers through digital channels. Its marketplace connects consumers who are shopping for insurance with providers seeking qualified prospects, using data, analytics and automated systems to facilitate the matching process.

The company’s platform supports customer acquisition across insurance categories, including property and casualty products such as auto and home insurance, as well as health, life and Medicare-related coverage.