Here's Why You Should Consider Investing in Middleby Stock Now

The Middleby Corporation MIDD is well-positioned to benefit from strength in the Food Processing Equipment Group segment and accretive acquisitions. The company’s shareholder-friendly moves also augur well.Shares of MIDD have gained 10.1% compared with the industry’s 8.8% growth in the past year.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchLet’s delve into the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a smart investment choice at the moment.Business Strength: Middleby is gaining from solid momentum in the Food Processing Equipment Group segment. An increase in demand for protein and bakery products is supporting the segment’s performance. Rising demand for snack category products bodes well for it. Also, a robust order rate and increasing demand for its products in the international market are acting as a tailwind. The segment’s sales increased 8.7% year over year in the first nine months of 2025. Middleby expects the Food Processing Equipment Group unit to deliver robust performance in the fourth quarter of 2025.Expansion Initiatives: The company solidified its product portfolio and leveraged business opportunities by adding assets. In August 2025, Middleby acquired Oka-Spezialmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG (Oka). The addition of Oka’s expertise in industrial extrusion, molding, depositing and cutting solutions is expected to strengthen the company’s position in the bakery and broader food processing end markets. In the same month, Middleby completed the acquisition of Frigomeccanica S.p.A. The inclusion of Frigomeccanica’s expertise in advanced protein processing solutions is expected to boost its position in the food processing end market. In November 2024, the company acquired Gorreri Food Processing Technology. The addition of Gorreri’s expertise in advanced baked goods solutions, coupled with its innovative manufacturing processes, strengthened Middleby’s position in the food processing end market. In the same month, Middleby completed the acquisition of JC Ford, which enhanced its presence in the growing snack food category. Acquired assets boosted MIDD’s sales by 3.3% year over year in the third quarter of 2025.Product Innovation Efforts: Middleby continues to focus on product innovation and upgrading the existing ones per the industry trend. As for innovation, over the past year, the company introduced several products, including MP Equipment, Blodgett ImVection, the Evo EVent Open Canopy Hood, PIZZABOT, TorQ, Discrete CFV, etc. Middleby is gaining market share in new and large product categories, including beverage and ice. It remains positioned to benefit from strong demand for ventless cooking products and automation technologies in the quarters ahead.Rewards to Shareholders: MIDD is committed to returning value to shareholders through share repurchases. It remains open to repurchasing common shares opportunistically. In the first nine months of 2025, Middleby repurchased shares worth $514.3 million. In November 2017, Middleby's board of directors authorized a share buyback program to repurchase up to 2.5 million shares of its common stock. The board of directors approved additional authorizations of 2.5 million shares each in May 2022 and July 2024 under the existing share repurchase program. In May 2025, the company further expanded the program by authorizing the repurchase of an additional 7.5 million shares. As of Sept. 27, 2025, Middleby was left with repurchasing 8,304,022 shares.Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked companies are discussed below.Crane Company CR currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.CR delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 9.3%. In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Crane’s 2025 earnings has increased 2.9%.Helios Technologies, Inc. HLIO presently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. HLIO delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 16.8%.In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Helios’ 2025 earnings has increased 1.7%.Watts Water Technologies, Inc. WTS presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. WTS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 10.9%.In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Watts Water’s 2025 earnings has increased 4.2%.Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5. Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Middleby Corporation (MIDD): Free Stock Analysis Report Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (WTS): Free Stock Analysis Report Crane Company (CR): Free Stock Analysis Report Helios Technologies, Inc (HLIO): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks