MAX NYSE Week ended 31 Jul 2026

Weekly Investor Report

MediaAlpha Inc. · Communication Services · Internet Content & Information

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Latest close 12.38 USD
-5.7% latest week
Weekly setup

Mixed setup

The weekly trend is active. Price is 21.6% above the Trend Line and sits at 69.5% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned -5.7%, after a -7.8% four-week move. The latest factor snapshot indicates quality ranks weakly versus its universe; growth ranks strongly; valuation is neither clearly cheap nor expensive. Options positioning is volatility with 53/100 conviction, while the latest news-sentiment score is 48/100. Near-term considerations: earnings are due in 3d.

Setup score 53 out of 100
Latest Close 12.38 USD 31 Jul 2026
1W Return -5.7% latest completed week
4W Return -7.8% short-term follow-through
12W Return 35.9% quarterly tape
Trend Breadth 48.1% 25 of 52 weeks active
Volume Ratio 1.5x vs 13-week average
What is working
  • The trend backdrop is active with a 3-week active streak.
  • Price is above the Trend Line, keeping the weekly tape constructive.
  • Price is above Fair Value, showing premium demand versus the model.
  • Activity pressure is positive on the latest completed week.
What could go wrong
  • The latest week was a sharp negative move.
What to watch next
  • Trend Line remains the key weekly regime level.
  • Activity pressure is the gauge to monitor for confirmation or fade.
  • A volume ratio above 1.5x would show stronger participation in the next move.
Price follow-through -5.7% Latest completed week; four-week move -7.8%. Indicator stack 37/82 Trend and activity pressure are weighted against the latest 12-week confirmation window. Trend backdrop Active The trend backdrop defines the current weekly regime. Patient Capital Recent Activity-pressure buy-signal status for institutional accumulation timing. Options pressure Volatility 53/100 conviction; expected move 17.6%. News sentiment 48/100 47 relevant articles in the latest sentiment read. Event risk 3d Next report is scheduled for 05 Aug 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
01 · Price action

Where price is—and whether the trend supports it

The weekly trend is active. Price is 21.6% above the Trend Line and sits at 69.5% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned -5.7%, after a -7.8% four-week move.

Study the full chart

52-week price path

Price vs Trend Line and Fair Value
Price Trend Line Fair Value
02 · Volume and demand

Is real participation confirming the move?

Latest weekly volume is 1.5x the 13-week average. Participation is unusually strong and confirms that the move is attracting attention.

26-week volume confirmation

Bar height shows volume; colour shows the weekly price direction
6 Feb 13 Feb 20 Feb 27 Feb 6 Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 3 Apr 10 Apr 17 Apr 24 Apr 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 May 5 Jun 12 Jun 19 Jun 26 Jun 3 Jul 10 Jul 17 Jul 24 Jul 31 Jul
Up week Down week
Demand beneath price

Activity pressure and institutional-style signals

These indicators assess whether participation is improving beneath the headline price move. They are supporting evidence, not proof of institutional buying.

Activity pressure path

Latest 0.5212-week average 0.24

12-week confirmation

Trend active3/12Active trend-backdrop weeks in the latest 12-week window.
Positive pressure11/12Weeks with constructive activity pressure in the latest 12-week window.
Positive leadership6/12Weeks with positive relative leadership in the latest 12-week window.
Activity pressure0.52Current proprietary activity-pressure read.
Buy signals1Accumulation signal count in the latest 12 weeks.
Reversal markers0No reversal markers

No recent accumulation markers. No reversal markers.

03 · Momentum and leadership

Is performance persistent—and is the stock leading?

Performance is -7.8% over four weeks, 35.9% over 12 weeks, and 25.6% over one year. The current trend has remained active for 3 consecutive weeks.

Performance by holding period

1W-5.7%
4W-7.8%
12W35.9%
26W21.0%
52W25.6%
Active trend streak3 weeks
Active weeks in one year25
Trend breadth48.1%

Activity pressure vs relative leadership

Activity pressureRelative leadership
Pressure1.61Latest activity-pressure read.
Pressure change41.9%Four-week change in activity pressure.
Leadership4.04Latest relative-leadership reading.
RS change-70.7%Four-week change in relative leadership.
04 · Fundamentals and valuation

What investors are paying for—and the quality behind it

The latest factor snapshot indicates quality ranks weakly versus its universe; growth ranks strongly; valuation is neither clearly cheap nor expensive.

Open full factor analysis
Factor week 26 Jul 2026 Financial statements through 31 Mar 2026 Field coverage 91% Model confidence 87%

Relative factor standing

Higher display scores are better. Each score is converted from the underlying universe rank, where rank 1 is best.

Overall factor strength17/100Blend of value, momentum, and quality. Underlying universe rank 84; rank 1 is best.
Value29/100Relative valuation strength. Underlying universe rank 72; rank 1 is best.
Quality9/100Profitability and accounting quality. Underlying universe rank 92; rank 1 is best.
Momentum69/100Medium-term price momentum. Underlying universe rank 32; rank 1 is best.
Growth94/100Revenue and earnings growth. Underlying universe rank 7; rank 1 is best.
How to read this

Quality and valuation are separate questions

A strong company can still carry a demanding valuation. This report shows profitability, growth, balance-sheet strength, and the price paid for those characteristics separately.

Valuation

How much investors are paying for earnings, sales, and cash flow.

P/E
18.2x
Price divided by trailing earnings.
Price / sales
0.6x
Market value relative to trailing revenue.
EV / EBITDA
-
Enterprise value relative to operating cash earnings.
Free-cash-flow yield
4.6%
Free cash flow as a share of enterprise value.

Business quality

Margins and the return generated on invested capital.

Gross margin
14.9%
Gross profit retained from each unit of revenue.
Operating margin
-3.7%
Operating profit retained from revenue.
Free-cash-flow margin
3.5%
Free cash flow generated from revenue.
Return on invested capital
-23.1%
Operating return generated on invested capital.

Growth and financial strength

Recent business growth and accounting strength.

Revenue growth
15.7%
Latest one-year revenue growth.
EPS growth
147.2%
Latest one-year earnings-per-share growth.
Free-cash-flow growth
-40.7%
Latest one-year free-cash-flow growth.
Piotroski F-score
5/9
Nine-point accounting-strength checklist.

Shareholder return and balance sheet

Cash returned to owners and financial leverage.

Dividend yield
0.2%
Cash dividends relative to market value.
Buyback yield
6.7%
Net share repurchases relative to market value.
Shareholder yield
6.8%
Dividend yield plus net buyback yield.
Net debt / EBITDA
-3.4x
Balance-sheet debt relative to operating cash earnings.
05 · Ownership, options, and sentiment

What other market participants are doing

Options, insider transactions, market sentiment, and activity-pressure signals can confirm or challenge the price story. None should be used alone.

Options positioningVolatility

MAX shows volatility options pressure with a 53/100 conviction score, put-call volume ratio of 0.01, expected move of 17.6%, and Sharemaestro trend signal active.

Conviction53/100
Expected move17.6%
Put/call volume0.01
Pressure100
Speculation9
Volatility89
Trend agreement0
Open options detail
Insider activity0 / 20

0 acquisitions and 20 disposals in the latest 180-day insider tape.

Acquisitions / disposals over the latest 180 days. Insider activity is context, not a stand-alone signal.
News sentiment48/100

Weighted news tone is neutral across 47 relevant articles.

6 positive · 26 neutral · 15 negative
Patient CapitalRecent

Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.

Recent buy signal in the last 8 weeks
06 · Catalysts and risk

What can move the shares—and how volatile the path has been

Event timing, options-implied movement, drawdown, and weekly return distribution frame the risk around the current setup.

Next earnings3dNext report is scheduled for 05 Aug 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
Options expected move17.6%Nearest-chain priced movement where available.
52-week drawdown-15.8%Distance below the 52-week high.
13-week volatility7.6%Standard deviation of weekly returns.

Weekly gains and losses

Latest 26 completed weeks

Each bar is one week. Gains rise above the zero line; losses fall below it. Taller bars mean a larger weekly move.

Weeks higher14 of 2612 weeks finished lower.
Best week+26.8%Week of 27 Feb.
Worst week-19.9%Week of 13 Feb.
Latest week-5.7%Week of 31 Jul.

Shape of recent returns

Strong gains10
Modest gains4
Flat weeks0
Modest losses4
Sharp losses8
Recent vol7.6%13-week weekly-return volatility.
Base vol8.2%52-week weekly-return volatility.
Up/down split25/27Count of positive and negative weeks in the 52-week window.
Average skew7.2% / -5.2%Average positive week versus average negative week.
07 · Sector and peer context

Is this stock leading—or simply moving with its group?

Sector and industry breadth distinguish company-specific strength from a broad group move.

08 · Evidence and weekly data

The underlying research record

Every top-level statement above should be traceable to a stored market, fundamental, event, or positioning observation.

Weekly tape51/100

Trend, activity pressure, participation, and risk combine to a 51/100 tape read.

 Indicator analysis53/100

Latest 12-week confirmation: trend 3/12, activity pressure 11/12, relative leadership 6/12.

Activity pressure 0.52; No reversal markers Factors28/100

O'Shaughnessy factor stack blends value, quality, momentum, and confidence.

Cornerstone Growth rank 44; Buyback Yield rank 9; Small Cap Core rank 65 Patient CapitalRecent

Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.

Recent buy signal in the last 8 weeks Options36/100

MAX shows volatility options pressure with a 53/100 conviction score, put-call volume ratio of 0.01, expected move of 17.6%, and Sharemaestro trend signal active.

Volatility · Volatility expansion watch · Expected move 17.6% Sentiment48/100

Weighted news tone is neutral across 47 relevant articles.

Mediaalpha Insider Sold Shares Worth $597,007, According to a Recent SEC Filing Insiders0 / 20

0 acquisitions and 20 disposals in the latest 180-day insider tape.

 Earnings3d

Next report is scheduled for 05 Aug 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
WeekCloseReturnTrend LineFair ValuePressureLeadershipVolumeTrend
31 Jul 202612.38 USD-5.7%10.18 USD12.31 USD1.614.045.7MOn
24 Jul 202613.13 USD-7.0%10.16 USD12.28 USD1.7011.635.8MOn
17 Jul 202614.12 USD5.6%10.15 USD12.26 USD1.7019.416.6MOn
10 Jul 202613.37 USD-0.4%10.11 USD12.24 USD1.4511.654.2MOff
3 Jul 202613.43 USD13.0%10.09 USD12.21 USD1.1413.824.1MOff
26 Jun 202611.88 USD17.3%10.08 USD12.19 USD0.692.994.6MOff
19 Jun 202610.13 USD7.2%10.11 USD12.18 USD0.28-14.422.5MOff
12 Jun 20269.45 USD4.2%10.17 USD12.17 USD0.10-19.863.3MOff
5 Jun 20269.07 USD1.9%10.27 USD12.17 USD-0.05-23.182.5MOff
29 May 20268.90 USD4.8%10.39 USD12.18 USD0.00-26.991.8MOff
22 May 20268.49 USD5.3%10.52 USD12.18 USD0.07-29.822.7MOff
15 May 20268.06 USD-11.5%10.62 USD12.18 USD0.04-33.282.6MOff
8 May 20269.11 USD0.1%10.70 USD12.18 USD0.06-25.033.0MOff
1 May 20269.10 USD-5.2%10.75 USD12.15 USD-0.11-23.845.6MOff
How to use this report

This is a completed-week research summary. It explains the available evidence and its conflicts; it does not predict a guaranteed outcome or replace your own risk assessment. Fundamental figures may refer to an earlier financial reporting period, which is shown above.