Spinoff lifts this sleepy stock

Article Excerpt

Cooking equipment maker Middleby is good example of how an activist can unlock hidden value for shareholders. The stock has moved mostly sideways over the past 10 years, but it jumped 15% in early 2025 after the company became the target of an activist investor. That pressure has now prompted Middleby to spin off its food processing operations as a separate firm. We’ll take a closer look at this new company as more information becomes available. In the meantime, we feel the spinoff will continue to draw investor attention to Middleby’s own high-quality operations. MIDDLEBY CORP. $155 is a spinoff buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol MIDD; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 53.6 million; Market cap: $8.3 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.middleby.com) designs, manufactures, markets, distributes and services a broad line of (i) foodservice equipment for all types of commercial restaurants and institutional kitchens, (ii) food preparation, cooking, baking, chilling and packaging equipment for food-processing operations, and (iii) premium kitchen equipment, including ranges, ovens, refrigerators,…