MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX) Stock: Insider Kuanling Amy Yeh Sells 12,000 Shares

MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX) CTO Kuanling Yeh sold 12,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock in a transaction on Friday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.69, for a total transaction of $176,280.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 481,091 shares in the company, valued at $7,067,226.79. This trade represents a 2.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 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.

Kuanling Amy Yeh also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, November 2nd, Kuanling Yeh sold 25,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.91, for a total transaction of $372,750.00.
• On Friday, October 30th, Kuanling Yeh sold 25,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.47, for a total transaction of $361,750.00.
• On Friday, October 16th, Kuanling Yeh sold 3,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.77, for a total transaction of $35,310.00.
• On Friday, September 25th, Kuanling Yeh sold 3,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.40, for a total value of $28,200.00.
• On Friday, September 4th, Kuanling Yeh sold 3,000 shares of MediaAlpha stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.00, for a total value of $36,000.00.

MediaAlpha Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE MAX traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $14.65. 558,792 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,218,706. MediaAlpha, Inc. has a 52-week low of $7.09 and a 52-week high of $15.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $867.13 million, a PE ratio of 8.05 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.49, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.32. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $11.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.83.

MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $375.95 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $347.93 million. MediaAlpha had a negative return on equity of 994.23% and a net margin of 8.35%. Analysts forecast that MediaAlpha, Inc. will post 1.47 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MediaAlpha

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MAX. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in MediaAlpha by 94.1% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 620,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,773,000 after purchasing an additional 300,871 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in MediaAlpha by 380.9% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 279,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,601,000 after buying an additional 221,540 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Asset Management LLC grew its stake in MediaAlpha by 31.1% during the 1st quarter. Jacobs Asset Management LLC now owns 924,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,597,000 after buying an additional 219,144 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in MediaAlpha by 24.1% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,061,981 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,876,000 after buying an additional 206,077 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new stake in MediaAlpha in the third quarter worth $1,306,000. Institutional investors own 64.39% of the company’s stock.

MediaAlpha News Summary

Here’s some of the latest news about MAX:

• Positive Sentiment: MediaAlpha repurchased 1.13 million Class A shares from an affiliate of White Mountains Insurance Group for about $16 million. The buyback may support shareholder value by returning capital and reducing shares outstanding. MediaAlpha Announces $16 Million Private Stock Repurchase
• Neutral Sentiment: CTO Kuanling Yeh and Director Eugene Nonko reported share sales under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans to cover tax withholding tied to vested equity awards. These sales are less indicative of a change in their outlook; both continue to own substantial stakes. SEC filing for CTO sale
• Neutral Sentiment: White Mountains’ affiliate sold 1.13 million shares, reducing its ownership by 9.15%, but retained more than 11.2 million shares. Because MediaAlpha bought the shares directly in its announced repurchase, the transaction’s potential selling-pressure effect is offset by the company’s buyback. SEC filing for major shareholder sale

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on MediaAlpha from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of MediaAlpha from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of MediaAlpha from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MediaAlpha from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of MediaAlpha from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MediaAlpha presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.71.

MediaAlpha Company Profile

MediaAlpha operates a technology platform that connects consumers shopping for insurance with insurance carriers and distributors. Its marketplace uses consumer-intent data and real-time bidding to help match shoppers with relevant insurance products and providers. The company focuses on insurance categories including auto, home, health and life. Its platform serves carriers, agents, brokers and other insurance distributors, with its business primarily centered on the U.S. market. MediaAlpha became an independent company in 2014 after operating within White Mountains Insurance Group.