MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Moderate Buy consensus from seven analysts (four buy, three hold) with an average 1‑year price target of $12.90.
• Q1 results showed an EPS miss of $0.21 vs. $0.25 expected, while revenue beat at $310.0M (up 17.3% YoY); the stock trades around $9.47, with a 12‑month range of $7.09–$13.92 and a market cap of about $610.8M.
• Insiders have sold ~687,897 shares worth $6.74M in the last 90 days (insiders own 14.65%), and institutional investors hold roughly 64.4% of the company.

Shares of MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seven research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $12.90.

Several brokerages recently weighed in on MAX. Weiss Ratings raised MediaAlpha from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of MediaAlpha from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of MediaAlpha from $18.00 to $11.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of MediaAlpha from $13.50 to $11.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of MediaAlpha from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th.

MediaAlpha Trading Up 6.5%

MediaAlpha stock opened at $9.47 on Wednesday. MediaAlpha has a 12 month low of $7.09 and a 12 month high of $13.92. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $9.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.84. The company has a market cap of $610.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.80 and a beta of 1.16.

MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.25 by ($0.04). MediaAlpha had a negative return on equity of 147.82% and a net margin of 3.37%.The firm had revenue of $310.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $298.91 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.04) earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that MediaAlpha will post 1.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at MediaAlpha

In other news, insider Steven Yi sold 26,739 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.00, for a total value of $267,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,891,690 shares of the company's stock, valued at $28,916,900. This trade represents a 0.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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, Director Eugene Nonko sold 25,606 shares of MediaAlpha stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.01, for a total value of $256,316.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 959,775 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,607,347.75. This trade represents a 2.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 687,897 shares of company stock worth $6,739,285. Company insiders own 14.65% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MediaAlpha

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in MediaAlpha by 5,900.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,160 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 2,124 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its stake in MediaAlpha by 9,917.9% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,805 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 2,777 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in MediaAlpha during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Quarry LP grew its stake in MediaAlpha by 43.3% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 4,087 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 1,234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in MediaAlpha by 28.0% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,551 shares of the company's stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 1,213 shares in the last quarter. 64.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About MediaAlpha

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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