Sector Alpha Week of 2026-07-29
Sector Alpha — machine-written from the numbers · Data as of 2026-07-29

The Middleby Corporation

MIDD
Industrials · Specialty Industrial Machinery

The Middleby Corporation's three tracks disagree. Price, valuation and the earnings engine each tell a different story — the next quarter or two settles it.

The sharpest disagreement: the price moved −9.8% in a year while annual EPS moved −166.7% — the difference is re-rating, and re-rating has to be repaid with earnings.

The price is building a base (4 weeks in) while the P/E sits at the 63rd percentile of its own 4-year range. Underneath, the last four quarters read mixed — profit +0.0% year on year, and 162% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash. What settles it: whether earnings grow into a price that has already moved.

Stage
Deteriorating
fundamental trajectory, 12 quarters
Price
$135
−9.8% 1Y
P/E
18.5×
63rd pctile
of its own 4-year range
Revenue (Apr 26)
$0.8 B
+15.1% YoY
Profit (Apr 26)
$0.1 B
+0.0% YoY
Operating margin
15.5%
−2.3 pp YoY
ROE
12%
FY26
ROIC
10.2%
vs WACC 9.8% → +0.4 pp
Cash conversion
162%
of profit, last 3 FY
01 · Price story

Price story Before the numbers, the tape. A stock price moves through four repeating seasons: a flat base (stage 1), an advance (2), a top (3), a decline (4). Where the price sits in that cycle frames everything below.

The Middleby Corporation trades at $135, building a base and 4 weeks into that stage. That is −6.3% against its own 200-day average. It sits at 30% of a 52-week range of $118 to $175. On relative strength it is currently behind the S&P 500 on a trailing-13-week view (4 weeks and counting).

Today the stock is building a base — week 4 of stage 1. At $135 it trades −6.3% versus its 200-day average and sits at 30% of its 52-week range ($118–$175).

Jul 26: $135 Weekly closing price ($) with 50- and 200-day averages; shaded bands mark the price stage (grey base, green advance, amber top, red decline). 3-year window.
−6.3% versus the 200-day line, week 4 of stage 1
Price50-day avg200-day avg
S1S3S1S3$180$162$144$125$107$$135$144Jul 23Apr 24Jan 25Oct 25Jul 26
S1S3S1S3$180$162$144$125$107$$135$144Jul 23Jan 25Jul 26
Beating or trailing, week by week since 2016 Each cell is one week from 2016 to now (526 weeks): the stock's trailing 13-week return minus the S&P 500's, green ahead / red behind (±25% ramp). Grey cells are the 13-week warm-up or weeks where the S&P 500 reading is not held.
trailing 13-week return vs the S&P 500
Jul 16Jul 26

Against the market, two honest reads. Cumulative: over the last 10.1 years the stock moved +17% while the S&P 500 moved +248% — behind the index over the full window. Recent form: on a trailing-13-week view the stock is currently behind (4 weeks and counting; last ahead the week of 2026-07-02) — the ribbon below is that same metric, week by week.

What would end the trend, mechanically: two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day line. That is the exit rule — no debates.

→ The trend is one thing; the bill is another. Are you paying up for it? Next: the P/E sits at the 63rd percentile of its own range.

02 · Valuation

Valuation P/E is the price of $1 of annual profit: how many dollars the market pays for each dollar the company earns in a year.

The Middleby Corporation trades at 18.5× P/E, mid-range by its own standards (63rd percentile). Its long-run median P/E is 17.9×, measured across 3.8 years of weekly readings. This places the multiple against the stock’s own record, and says nothing about what the business is worth.

Today's P/E of 18.5× is mid-range by its own standards (63rd percentile), against a long-run median of 17.9× measured over 3.8 years of weekly readings. This is a comparison against the stock's own history — not a claim about what it is worth.

P/E 18.5× vs a 17.9× long-run median P/E, weekly (left axis); earnings per share, trailing twelve months, weekly step line (right axis). 3.8-year window; loss-period spikes above 21× shown pinned at the top. The eps (ttm) bars are red where the reading is lower than the quarter before.
mid-range by its own standards (63rd percentile)
P/EMedianEPS (TTM) (quarterly)
21.8×$9.219.5×$6.917.2×$4.614.9×$2.312.6×$0.0×$18.65×$8Apr 22Mar 23Mar 24Feb 25Jan 26
21.8×$9.219.5×$6.917.2×$4.614.9×$2.312.6×$0.0×$18.65×$8Apr 22Mar 24Jan 26
PEG 1.41 PEG ratio per quarter — the P/E divided by the earnings-growth rate. The dashed line marks 1.0: below it the growth is cheap against the multiple, above it the price already prices the growth in. Last 19 quarters.
above 1.0, the multiple already banks the growth
PEGPEG = 1.0
4.4×3.5×2.6×1.7×0.8××1.41×Oct 21Oct 22Dec 23Jan 25Apr 26
4.4×3.5×2.6×1.7×0.8××1.41×Oct 21Dec 23Apr 26
P/E
18.5×
63rd percentile of 4y
PEG
1.75
as reported

🚨 Why the multiple sits where it does: over the past year annual EPS moved −166.7% against a −9.8% price move — the price outran earnings, pushing the multiple UP its own range.

The price move, decomposed: over 3y, of the −3.8%/yr price move, ~−0.3%/yr came from earnings growth and ~−3.5 pp from the multiple (compressing). The split is the honest approximate (price return minus earnings growth); it makes the rally itself visible instead of hiding it behind the percentile.

Put together: the multiple is unremarkable against its own past, so the story rests on the earnings line underneath it, not the multiple.

→ Cheap or dear rides on the earnings. Are they actually growing? Next: the fundamental stage — where the business sits in its arc, and how growth has compounded.

03 · Stage: Deteriorating

Stage: Deteriorating Every business sits somewhere on a fundamental arc, and this page names the spot before anything else. The last twelve quarters of revenue, profit and EPS growth — plus the return the business earns on its capital — are read as curves: Deteriorating (the curves are falling), Turning around (a trough has just formed and the last few quarters lift off it), Improving (the climb off the trough is sustained), Consistent (steadily positive with healthy returns), Topping out (still high but decelerating from the peak). When the curves genuinely disagree the read is Mixed; too little history is No read. CAGR (compound annual growth rate) is the smooth yearly pace that turns the starting value into the latest one — the fairest way to compare growth across different time spans. Read the columns together: if the 1-year number towers over the 10-year, recent growth is running hotter than the long-run trend. A dash means that window is not held, or the base year was a loss (where a growth rate is not meaningful).

The Middleby Corporation reads as deteriorating on its fundamental arc. Deteriorating — revenue, profit and EPS growth are shrinking (revenue growth −14.7% latest against +10.3% at its 12-quarter best), ROCE holding at 9.8%. The read is built from 12 quarters across 4 curves, on full evidence.

Three growth curves, twelve quarters Year-on-year growth of trailing-twelve-month revenue (left axis), profit and EPS (right axis — they swing far wider), % at each quarter-end. A missing point means that reading is not held for the quarter.
the trajectory the stage is read from
RevenueProfitEPS
13%33%3.5%−31%−5.9%−95%−15%−159%−25%−223%%%−14.7%−162.8%−205.7%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
13%33%3.5%−31%−5.9%−95%−15%−159%−25%−223%%%−14.7%−162.8%−205.7%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
ROCE Trailing-twelve-month operating profit (before interest and tax) as a share of average capital employed — total assets minus current liabilities, the standard textbook basis, %.
the return curve, computed quarterly
ROCE
12.1%11.5%10.9%10.2%9.63%%9.8%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
12.1%11.5%10.9%10.2%9.63%%9.8%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
Revenue growth
Falling
latest −14.7% · span −22.0% to +10.3%
Profit growth
Falling
latest −162.8% · span −162.8% to +15.0%
EPS growth
Falling
latest −205.7% · span −205.7% to +15.5%
ROCE
Stuck low
latest 9.8% · span 9.8%–11.9%

🚨 Why it matters: falling curves mean every cheap-looking ratio below needs a discount for direction.

Growth, year by year: revenue +1.6% in FY26, profit −11.9% Year-over-year growth per fiscal year, %: revenue (left axis); net profit and EPS (right axis — profit growth swings far wider). Zero line drawn.
Revenue YoYProfit YoYEPS YoY
27%20%15%−30%2.2%−80%−10%−130%−23%−181%%%1.6%−11.9%FY22FY23FY26
27%20%15%−30%2.2%−80%−10%−130%−23%−181%%%1.6%−11.9%FY22FY23FY26
TTM growth by quarter Trailing-twelve-month growth versus the year-ago TTM, per quarter, %: revenue (left axis); profit and EPS (right axis). The acceleration read compares the last 4 quarters (−14.7%) with the last 8 annualized (−11.1%).
revenue rolling over
Revenue TTM YoYProfit TTM YoYEPS TTM YoY
13%33%3.5%−31%−5.9%−95%−15%−159%−25%−223%%%−14.7%−162.8%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
13%33%3.5%−31%−5.9%−95%−15%−159%−25%−223%%%−14.7%−162.8%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
Compound annual growth rate (%) Compound annual growth rate over each window, %. Revenue, profit and EPS from fiscal-year figures; stock price is the price CAGR over the same spans. A dash = that window is not held, or the base was a loss.
1yr3yr5yr10yr
Revenue+1.6%−0.4%
Profit−11.9%−3.4%
Stock price−9.8%−3.8%−6.7%+1.2%
Revenue YoY (Apr 26)
+15.1%
latest quarter vs a year ago
Profit YoY (Apr 26)
+0.0%
latest quarter vs a year ago
Revenue 10y
−0.4%
long-run compound pace

→ The stage names the trajectory. Next: the revenue line that produces it, quarter by quarter.

04 · 4-Factor Sector Score

4-Factor Sector Score

41.0/100 — rank 23 of 30 in Specialty Industrial Machinery · 57% evidence confidence

The Middleby Corporation scores 41.0 out of 100 against the 30 companies it is compared with in Specialty Industrial Machinery, ranking 23. Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral.

The four contributions add to the total exactly: 16.5 + 9.6 + 11.4 + 3.5 = 41. This is the SAME number shown on the sector comparison — it is computed once, for the whole peer set, and read here.

What would change it: The read weakens if profit growth turns negative or margin improvement reverses while sector-relative strength deteriorates.

05 · Revenue

Revenue Revenue is the top line: everything the company billed its customers in the period.

The Middleby Corporation reported $0.8 B of revenue in the Apr 26 quarter, +15.1% year on year. Over 4 years it has compounded at −0.4% a year. The last full year, FY26, came in at $3.2 B. The last four reported quarters add to $3.1 B.

The Middleby Corporation reported $0.8 B of revenue in the Apr 26 quarter, +15.1% year on year. Over 4 years it has compounded at −0.4% a year. The last full year, FY26, came in at $3.2 B. The last four reported quarters add to $3.1 B.

FY26 revenue came in at $3.2 B (+1.6% on the year), capping 4 years at −0.4% compound. The latest quarter (Apr 26) printed $0.8 B, +15.1% year on year.

FY26 revenue $3.2 B (+1.6% YoY) Revenue bars, $ B (left); YoY growth-% line (right). 5-year window. A bar is red when it is lower than the year before.
−0.4% a year over 4 years
RevenueYoY growth
4.427%3.315%2.22.2%1.1−10%0.0−23%$ B%$3B1.6%FY22FY23FY26
4.427%3.315%2.22.2%1.1−10%0.0−23%$ B%$3B1.6%FY22FY23FY26
Apr 26: $0.8 B (+15.1% YoY) Quarterly revenue bars, $ B (left); YoY growth-% line (right). Last 12 quarters. A bar is red when it is lower than the quarter before.
Revenue (quarterly)YoY growth
1.122%0.8−2.2%0.6−26%0.3−50%0.0−74%$ B%$1B15.1%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
1.122%0.8−2.2%0.6−26%0.3−50%0.0−74%$ B%$1B15.1%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26

Pace check: the last four quarters averaged −12.2% growth against the decade's −0.4% — the current year is running slower than its own long-run rate.

Acceleration check: trailing-twelve-month revenue grew −14.7% over the last 4 quarters against −11.1%/yr over the last 8 — rolling over.

→ Revenue grew — did margins hold as it scaled? Next: 15.5% this quarter (−2.3 pp YoY).

06 · Operating margin

Operating margin Operating margin is what is left of every $100 of sales after running the business, before interest and tax. It is the cleanest read on pricing power and cost control.

The Middleby Corporation's operating margin is 15.5% in the Apr 26 quarter, −2.3 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 15.9% to 20.3%. The current quarter is running below every full year in that window.

The Middleby Corporation's operating margin is 15.5% in the Apr 26 quarter, −2.3 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 15.9% to 20.3%. The current quarter is running below every full year in that window.

The latest quarter's operating margin is 15.5%, −2.3 pp against the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 15.9%–20.3%.

🚨 Why the margin moved: operating margin went −2.3 pp year on year while gross margin went −1.6 pp — the loss came mostly from the gross line: input costs and pricing.

FY26: 17.8% Operating margin by fiscal year, %, line (left); year-on-year change in the margin, in percentage points, line (right). 5-year window.
within a 15.9–20.3% band over 5 years
operating marginYoY change (pp)
21%4.8%19%2.6%18%0.4%17%−1.9%16%−4.1%%%17.8%−2.5%FY22FY23FY26
21%4.8%19%2.6%18%0.4%17%−1.9%16%−4.1%%%17.8%−2.5%FY22FY23FY26
Apr 26: 15.5% operating margin (−2.3 pp YoY) Quarterly operating margin, %, line (left); year-on-year change in the margin, in percentage points, line (right). Last 12 quarters. Operating profit as a share of revenue, per quarter.
Operating marginYoY change (pp)
276%260%187%171%98%81%8.5%−9.1%−81%−99%%%15.5%−2.3%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
276%260%187%171%98%81%8.5%−9.1%−81%−99%%%15.5%−2.3%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26

→ Margins slipped — did that reach the bottom line? Next: profit +0.0% in the latest quarter.

07 · Net profit

Net profit Net profit is what survives every cost, interest and tax — the number EPS, dividends and book value all grow from.

The Middleby Corporation earned $0.1 B of net profit in the Apr 26 quarter, +0.0% year on year. Full-year FY26 profit was $0.4 B. The 4-year compound rate is −6.8%. That is 10.7% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $0.1 B. 1 of the last 12 reported quarters were loss-making.

The Middleby Corporation earned $0.1 B of net profit in the Apr 26 quarter, +0.0% year on year. Full-year FY26 profit was $0.4 B. The 4-year compound rate is −6.8%. That is 10.7% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $0.1 B. 1 of the last 12 reported quarters were loss-making.

Apr 26 profit was $0.1 B, +0.0% year on year. On the full year, FY26 printed $0.4 B (−11.9%), and the 4-year compound rate is −6.8%.

FY26 profit $0.4 B (−11.9% YoY) Net profit bars, $ B (left); YoY growth-% line (right). 5-year window. A bar is red when it is lower than the year before.
−6.8% a year over 4 years
Net profitYoY growth
0.53.5%0.4−0.6%0.3−4.8%0.1−8.9%0.0−13%$ B%$0B−11.9%FY22FY23FY26
0.53.5%0.4−0.6%0.3−4.8%0.1−8.9%0.0−13%$ B%$0B−11.9%FY22FY23FY26
Apr 26: $0.1 B (+0.0% YoY) Quarterly net profit bars, $ B (left); YoY growth-% line (right). Last 12 quarters. A bar is red when it is lower than the quarter before.
Net profit (quarterly)YoY growth
0.256%0.0−110%−0.2−277%−0.4−443%−0.6−609%$ B%$0B0%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
0.256%0.0−110%−0.2−277%−0.4−443%−0.6−609%$ B%$0B0%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26

🚨 Why profit moved: revenue contributed +15.1% and the margin −2.3 pp — the quarter was revenue-led despite a thinner margin.

Pace comparison, last four quarters: profit −158.9% vs revenue −12.2%. Profit is growing slower than sales — costs are eating the growth before it reaches the bottom line.

→ Profit rose — but did the cash follow? Next: 162% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash.

08 · Cash flow — the router

Cash flow — the router The P&L says what was earned; the cash-flow statement says what actually arrived. Operating cash flow (CFO) against profit is the cleanest lie detector in the accounts.

Over the last 3 fiscal years 162% of The Middleby Corporation's reported profit arrived as operating cash — the cash follows the profit. In FY26 that was $0.6 B of operating cash against $0.4 B of profit. After $0.1 B of capital spending, $0.6 B was left as free cash.

FY26: operating cash of $0.6 B against reported profit of $0.4 B, leaving free cash of $0.6 B after $0.1 B of capital spending. Across the last 3 fiscal years the conversion rate is 162% of profit.

Cash-flow readings here are annual — that is the resolution our series carries, so this section moves once a year.

FY26: CFO $0.6 B vs profit $0.4 B Operating cash flow and net profit by fiscal year, $ B; the line is free cash flow (CFO minus capital spending). 5-year window, annual resolution.
162% of 3-year profit arrived as cash
Operating cashNet profitFree cash
0.70.60.40.20.0$ B$1B$0B$1BFY22FY23FY26
0.70.60.40.20.0$ B$1B$0B$1BFY22FY23FY26
Apr 26: operating cash $0.1 B = 78% of the quarter's profit Operating cash per quarter, $ B (bars); conversion = operating cash as % of net profit (line, right). Last 12 quarters. Dashed line = 100%.
Operating cash (quarterly)Conversion100%
0.28509%0.21386%0.14263%0.07139%0.0016%$ B%$0B78%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
0.28509%0.21386%0.14263%0.07139%0.0016%$ B%$0B78%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26

Why: conversion is measured cleanly, but the working-capital day-counts behind it sit below what we hold — the move is shown without inventing its driver.

Router verdict: the visible cash user is investment — the next section checks what the spending is buying.

→ So follow the cash to where it goes. Next: $0.0 B of building over 3 years.

09 · Where the cash goes

Where the cash goes Working capital is the cash tied up between paying suppliers and getting paid: debtor days (customers owe), inventory days (stock waits), and the cash conversion cycle (the whole loop, in days of sales).

The Middleby Corporation does not report the debtor, inventory and payable day-counts a cash cycle is built from, so this section reads the investment side instead. Capital spending ran $0.0 B over the last 3 years. Averaged over those years that is 0.0% of FY26 revenue a year.

Working-capital day-counts are not in our numbers for this stock, so this section reads the investment side — where the cash is being put to work.

On the investment side: capital spending of $0.0 B over the last 3 fiscal years.

FY26: capex $0.1 B Capital spending per fiscal year, $ B (bars).
steady investment
Capex
0.080.060.040.020.00$ B$0BFY22FY23FY26
0.080.060.040.020.00$ B$0BFY22FY23FY26
Apr 26: capex $0.0 B in the quarter Capital spending per quarter, $ B (bars, left); free cash flow, $ B (line, right). Last 12 quarters.
Capex (quarterly)Free cash
0.0320.260.0240.200.0160.140.0080.080.0000.02$ B$ B$0B$0BJul 23Sep 24Apr 26
0.0320.260.0240.200.0160.140.0080.080.0000.02$ B$ B$0B$0BJul 23Sep 24Apr 26

The synthesis: the cash is going into capacity, not disappearing into the cycle — the question becomes whether the new capacity earns.

→ Does all this activity actually earn its cost of capital? Next: ROE is 12% and the ROIC − WACC spread is +0.4 pp.

10 · Return on equity

Return on equity Return on equity (ROE) is the profit the business earns on its shareholders’ money. With the full capital-employed split not in our numbers, ROE is the cleanest long ladder we can draw here.

The Middleby Corporation earns a ROE of 13% in FY26. That is up from a trough of 12% in FY25. Return on invested capital clears the cost of that capital by +0.4 percentage points, so growth here adds value rather than only size. The wiring behind it is 11.6% net margin on 0.51× asset turns.

FY26 ROE is 13%, recovered from a FY25 trough of 12% — the full ladder below shows the fall and the climb, undoctored.

Why the return is what it is — the wiring (FY26): 11.6% net margin × 0.51× asset turns × 2.27× balance-sheet leverage ≈ 13.4% on equity. Margin does its share; leverage is a meaningful part of the equation.

The capstone test — ROIC − WACC: 10.2% − 9.8% = a +0.4 pp spread. The 9.8% is an estimate of this company's own cost of capital — read the sign and the size of the spread, not the decimals. Positive but thin — value creation with little room for error.

FY26: ROE 13% Return on equity by fiscal year, % (line); ROIC by fiscal year, % (line). 5-year window, dips included. Dashed line = the 9.8% cost of capital used on this page.
the climb back from FY25's 12%
ROEROIC (annual)WACC
21%17%14%11%7.8%%13.3%8.7%FY22FY23FY26
21%17%14%11%7.8%%13.3%8.7%FY22FY23FY26
Apr 26: ROIC 9.8% (TTM) vs WACC 9.8% Trailing-twelve-month ROIC and ROE, per quarter, %; dashed line = the cost of capital. Last 12 quarters, put on a trailing-twelve-month basis and anchored to the annual figure.
ROIC (TTM)ROE (TTM)WACC
12%4.4%−2.9%−10%−18%%9.8%2.8%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
12%4.4%−2.9%−10%−18%%9.8%2.8%Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26

→ Returns like these — is the balance sheet borrowing to make them? Next: debt-to-equity is 0.80.

11 · Dividend

Dividend

The Middleby Corporation pays no dividend. Across the last 12 reported quarters it has declared no dividend per share, so there is no payout history to chart and no yield to quote. Companies at this stage typically reinvest earnings rather than distribute them, which makes the cash-flow and reinvestment sections the place that cash shows up.

The Middleby Corporation does not currently pay a dividend. Across the last 12 reported quarters the company has declared no dividend per share, so there is no payout history to chart and no yield to quote. Companies at this stage typically reinvest earnings instead of distributing them.

→ No payout to follow. The cash question becomes what the business does with what it earns instead.

12 · Debt

Debt Debt-to-equity says how much of the business is funded by borrowings. Low is the safe corner; the trend matters as much as the level.

The Middleby Corporation carries total debt of $1.9 B against shareholder equity of $2.4 B as of Apr 26, a debt-to-equity of 0.79. On the annual view that ratio went from 0.97 in FY22 to 0.78 in FY26. Read the returns elsewhere on this page with that leverage in mind.

Apr 26: total debt of $1.9 B against shareholder equity of $2.4 B — a debt-to-equity of 0.79. On the annual view, debt-to-equity went from 0.97 (FY22) to 0.78 (FY26). Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind.

FY26: debt $2.2 B at 0.78× equity Total debt by fiscal year, $ B (bars); debt-to-equity, × (line). 5-year window.
Total debtDebt-to-equity
2.91.0×2.20.9×1.50.8×0.70.7×0.00.6×$ B×$2B0.78×FY22FY23FY26
2.91.0×2.20.9×1.50.8×0.70.7×0.00.6×$ B×$2B0.78×FY22FY23FY26
Apr 26: debt $1.9 B, debt-to-equity 0.79 Total debt per quarter, $ B (bars); debt-to-equity, × (line). Last 12 quarters.
Total debt (quarterly)Debt-to-equity
2.90.93×2.20.85×1.50.78×0.70.70×0.00.62×$ B×$2B0.79×Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26
2.90.93×2.20.85×1.50.78×0.70.70×0.00.62×$ B×$2B0.79×Jul 23Sep 24Apr 26

→ Who owns this, and are they adding or leaving? Next: short interest is 4.6% of the float.

13 · Ownership

Ownership There is no quarter-by-quarter holder register to read here, so we read the crowd through short interest — the slice of tradable shares currently sold short, positioned for a fall.

4.6% of The Middleby Corporation's tradable float is currently sold short — some money is positioned against it. At typical trading volumes those positions would take about 2.1 days to buy back. There is no quarter-by-quarter holder register to read for this filer, so the crowd is read through short interest instead.

The latest reading: 4.6% of the float is sold short, and at typical trading volumes it would take about 2.1 days to buy those positions back. Some money is positioned against it. This is a single point-in-time reading — we do not yet hold its history, so we show no trend chart.

Short interest
4.6%
of the tradable float
Days to cover
2.1
at typical volumes

Why it sits there: who is doing the shorting, and why, does not travel with the number — the level is shown without inventing its story.

→ One last check: does the safety math agree? Next: the balance-sheet safety line.

14 · Safety line

Safety line The Z-score estimates how far a company sits from balance-sheet distress — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the danger zone. It was built for manufacturers, so it is not applied to banks and lenders.

The Middleby Corporation: the Z-score reads 3.61. A Z-score above roughly 3 reads as safe and below roughly 1.8 as the distress zone, so this sits well clear of distress. It is a distance-to-distress estimate from the balance sheet, not a forecast of failure.

Why it matters: a Z-score of 3.61 sits well clear of the distress zone — the balance sheet is not the risk here.

The safety line in one sentence: the Z-score reads 3.61.

Related companies · same industry · Specialty Industrial Machinery Every company is compared on the shape of its own curves, not static ratios. The Revenue, EPS and ROCE columns each draw that company's last 12 quarters as a mini line of the ACTUAL level (trailing-twelve-month revenue and EPS, and the ROCE itself) — so a line that climbs is a business getting bigger, a line that sinks is one shrinking. The colour tracks the same line: green when it is rising or steadily healthy, amber when it is rolling over from a high (still elevated but turning down), red when it is falling, grey when flat or stuck. Colour and direction always agree — a green line never points down. The ROCE curve is the return on capital (annual readings for peers, so a slightly coarser line than the quarterly one at the top of this page). The Stage column then runs the same 12-quarter trajectory classifier used at the top of the page on each company and names where it sits. What lands a company in each bucket: CONSISTENT — growth stays positive across the window and returns are healthy (ROCE ≥ 15%, or ROE ≥ 12% for lenders); IMPROVING — profit or EPS fell into real decline, bottomed a few quarters back, and has climbed back to positive and held there; TURNING AROUND — the same kind of trough but more recent, with the latest quarters just lifting off it (an early, unconfirmed turn); TOPPING OUT — growth is still positive but decelerating hard from its own peak while returns have stopped rising; DETERIORATING — two or more growth curves are shrinking (latest below zero) and staying there, not one soft quarter; MIXED — the curves genuinely disagree, or no clean majority, so no single word fits; NO READ — fewer than eight usable quarters. It is a like-for-like read of every company against its own past, not a ranking against the group.
CompanyP/EMkt capRevenueEPSROCEStage
The Middleby Corporation this page18.5×$6BDeteriorating
GE Vernova Inc.27.0×$251BNo read
Eaton Corporation plc37.8×$150BConsistent
Parker-Hannifin Corporation36.6×$125BMixed
Cummins Inc.34.4×$89BTopping out
Emerson Electric Co.35.1×$85BImproving
Illinois Tool Works Inc.25.8×$85BDeteriorating
AMETEK, Inc.36.5×$55BMixed
Rockwell Automation, Inc.48.9×$52BImproving
Ingersoll Rand Inc.58.6×$34BDeteriorating
Xylem Inc.29.7×$30BMixed
Otis Worldwide Corporation18.9×$28BDeteriorating
Dover Corporation24.4×$27BImproving
Symbotic Inc.$26BNo read
ITT Inc.35.4×$18BDeteriorating
Nordson Corporation32.3×$17BTurning around
IDEX Corporation33.2×$17BTurning around
Regal Rexnord Corporation47.2×$14BImproving
Graco Inc.25.9×$13BMixed
Crane Company41.5×$13BTopping out
Watts Water Technologies, Inc.31.7×$12BConsistent
Generac Holdings Inc.61.1×$12BDeteriorating
Donaldson Company, Inc.25.7×$11BTurning around
Pentair plc16.8×$11BMixed
Chart Industries, Inc.$10BDeteriorating
Flowserve Corporation27.0×$9BConsistent
A. O. Smith Corporation17.1×$9BMixed
JBT Marel Corporation45.4×$8BDeteriorating
Gates Industrial Corporation plc27.8×$7BImproving
Enpro Inc.152.7×$7BDeteriorating
CSW Industrials, Inc.44.6×$5BDeteriorating
Franklin Electric Co., Inc.31.6×$5BDeteriorating
Mirion Technologies, Inc.189.9×$4BNo read
Mueller Water Products, Inc.19.6×$4BMixed
Kadant Inc.35.9×$4BTurning around
Standex International Corporation35.8×$4BTurning around
Crane NXT, Co.24.5×$3BDeteriorating
NuScale Power Corporation$3BNo read
ERock, Inc.$3B
ATS Corporation51.6×$3BDeteriorating
12 · Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is The Middleby Corporation's stock price today?

The Middleby Corporation trades at $135, −9.8% over the past year. The company is valued at $6.0 B. The stock sits at 30% of its 52-week range of $118–$175, −6.3% versus its 200-day average. On the tape, the price is building a base, 4 weeks in. — as of 29 July 2026.

What were The Middleby Corporation's latest quarterly results?

The Middleby Corporation reported revenue of $0.8 B and net profit of $0.1 B for the Apr 26 quarter. Revenue rose 15.1% and profit rose 0.0% year on year. The operating margin was 15.5%, 2.3 pp lower than a year earlier. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is The Middleby Corporation's revenue?

The Middleby Corporation reported revenue of $0.8 B in the Apr 26 quarter, +15.1% year on year. For the full FY26 fiscal year, revenue was $3.2 B (+1.6%). Over the last 4 years revenue compounded at −0.4% a year. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is The Middleby Corporation's profit?

The Middleby Corporation earned $0.1 B of net profit in the Apr 26 quarter, +0.0% year on year. Full-year FY26 profit was $0.4 B. The operating margin ran 15.5% in the latest quarter. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is The Middleby Corporation's market cap?

The Middleby Corporation's market capitalisation is $6.0 B at a stock price of $135. Market cap is the share price multiplied by shares outstanding, so it is restated whenever the price moves. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is The Middleby Corporation's P/E ratio?

The Middleby Corporation trades at a P/E of 18.5×, at the 63rd percentile of its own 4-year range, against a long-run median of 17.9×. This is a comparison with the stock's own history, not a value call — as of 29 July 2026.

Does The Middleby Corporation pay a dividend?

No — The Middleby Corporation has declared no dividend per share in any of its last 12 reported quarters, so there is no payout history and no yield to quote. That is a reading of the filed statements, not an estimate. — as of 29 July 2026.

Is The Middleby Corporation overvalued?

On its own history, The Middleby Corporation looks mid-range against its own history: its P/E of 18.5× sits at the 63rd percentile of its 4-year range (long-run median 17.9×). That is a percentile read against the stock's own past, not a price opinion or a direction call. — as of 29 July 2026.

Is The Middleby Corporation growing?

The picture is mixed for The Middleby Corporation: latest-quarter revenue +15.1% year on year, profit +0.0%, and the margin −2.3 pp at 15.5%. The 4-year compound rates are −0.4% (revenue) and −6.8% (profit). The earnings engine currently reads: mixed — as of 29 July 2026.

How is The Middleby Corporation performing?

The Middleby Corporation is building a base, 4 weeks in. Its latest quarter's revenue rose 15.1% and profit rose 0.0% year on year. Against the S&P 500 it has been behind on a trailing-13-week view for 4 weeks. This describes what the data did, not a rating. — as of 29 July 2026.

What stage is The Middleby Corporation in?

Deteriorating — revenue, profit and EPS growth are shrinking (revenue growth −14.7% latest against +10.3% at its 12-quarter best), ROCE holding at 9.8%. The read comes from the last 12 quarters of growth (revenue growth −14.7% latest, profit growth −162.8% latest, eps growth −205.7% latest) plus the ROCE curve, classified by deterministic rules — a trajectory read, not a buy or sell call — as of 29 July 2026.

Is The Middleby Corporation in an uptrend?

No — the price is building a base (week 4 of stage 1), trading −6.3% versus its 200-day average and at 30% of its 52-week range. Price stages cycle base → advance → top → decline, and the stage names where this stock sits in that cycle — as of 29 July 2026.

Is The Middleby Corporation beating the market?

Not lately — on a trailing-13-week view The Middleby Corporation is currently behind the S&P 500 (4 weeks and counting; last ahead the week of 2026-07-02), the same metric the week-by-week ribbon on this page draws. Separately, on the cumulative view: over the last 10.1 years the stock moved +17% against the S&P 500's +248% — behind the index over the full window. — as of 29 July 2026.

Will The Middleby Corporation's stock price go up?

This page publishes no price forecast for The Middleby Corporation. What it measures instead: the stock price is $135, the price is building a base 4 weeks in. Its P/E of 18.5× sits at the 63rd percentile of its own 4-year range. — as of 29 July 2026.

Is the market betting against The Middleby Corporation?

Somewhat — short interest is 4.6% of The Middleby Corporation's tradable float, about 2.1 days to cover at typical volumes. A moderate reading: some money is positioned against it. With no quarter-by-quarter holder register here, short interest is the cleanest crowd read we hold — as of 29 July 2026.

Does The Middleby Corporation have too much debt?

It is moderate — The Middleby Corporation's debt-to-equity is 0.80. A year-by-year borrowings ladder is not in our numbers for this stock, so the latest reading is the cleanest hold. Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind — as of 29 July 2026.

What is The Middleby Corporation's capex?

The Middleby Corporation spent $0.0 B on capital expenditure over the last 3 fiscal years, a figure derived from the change in fixed assets plus depreciation. In FY26 alone that was $0.1 B. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is The Middleby Corporation's cash flow?

The Middleby Corporation generated $0.6 B of operating cash flow in FY26 and $0.6 B of free cash flow after $0.1 B of capital spending. Reported profit that year was $0.4 B, so operating cash ran ahead of profit. — as of 29 July 2026.

Is The Middleby Corporation's profit real cash?

Yes — over the last 3 fiscal years, 162% of The Middleby Corporation's reported profit arrived as operating cash. In FY26, operating cash was $0.6 B against reported profit of $0.4 B. The cash then goes mostly into building capacity. Cash-flow resolution is annual — as of 29 July 2026.

How financially safe is The Middleby Corporation?

On the balance sheet, the Z-score reads 3.61 — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the distress zone. That sits well clear of trouble. — as of 29 July 2026.

Where is The Middleby Corporation in its business cycle?

The Middleby Corporation's FY26 operating margin was 17.8%, against a 5-year band of 15.9%–20.3%: mid-band by its own history — neither the peak that precedes mean-reversion nor the trough that precedes recovery. The latest quarter ran 15.5%. Profitability versus a company's own long band is the cleanest cycle clock this page holds — as of 29 July 2026.

What could break the The Middleby Corporation story?

The sharpest disagreement: the price moved −9.8% in a year while annual EPS moved −166.7% — the difference is re-rating, and re-rating has to be repaid with earnings. Mechanically, two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day average would end the price trend — that is the exit rule this page tracks — as of 29 July 2026.

Is The Middleby Corporation a stock worth studying right now?

This is not investment advice. The machine read: The Middleby Corporation's three tracks disagree. Price, valuation and the earnings engine each tell a different story — the next quarter or two settles it. The sharpest open question: whether earnings grow into a price that has already moved. Every number on this page is drawn deterministically from the raw series, with no forecasts and no price opinions — as of 29 July 2026.

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