Medifast (NYSE:MED) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Medifast Inc (NYSE:MED) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $11.21 and traded as high as $12.04. Medifast shares last traded at $11.8630, with a volume of 111,571 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MED. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Medifast from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. Stephens dropped their target price on shares of Medifast from $15.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Medifast from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $12.00.

Medifast Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $131.92 million, a P/E ratio of -6.48 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $11.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $11.21.

Medifast (NYSE:MED) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The specialty retailer reported ($0.19) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.55) by $0.36. The company had revenue of $76.04 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $69.20 million. Medifast had a negative return on equity of 4.80% and a negative net margin of 5.78%.Medifast has set its FY 2026 guidance at -2.750–1.550 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at -1.000–0.500 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Medifast Inc will post -1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Medifast news, CEO Daniel R. Chard bought 17,678 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $10.11 per share, with a total value of $178,724.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $178,724.58. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott Schlackman purchased 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $12.53 per share, for a total transaction of $31,325.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 30,549 shares in the company, valued at approximately $382,778.97. The trade was a 8.91% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 22,678 shares of company stock valued at $241,675. 3.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Medifast

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in Medifast by 103.1% in the 3rd 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 last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Medifast during the third quarter worth about $37,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new position in Medifast during the fourth quarter worth $47,000. State of Wyoming bought a new position in Medifast during the fourth quarter worth $59,000. Finally, Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Medifast in the first quarter worth approximately $78,000. 95.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Medifast Company Profile

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.