Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-24 · Permanent

Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers IBKR

Outside both standards

An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.

In plain words · Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.

The label
Markup

read at $91.74

Interactive Brokers holds its Markup at $91.74.

PHINPOOPSC
  • PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Markup label
  • INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
  • POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
  • OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
  • SCScreen · does not pass the values gate
  • edge confirmed
  • edge broken
  • edge forming

Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.

The investor read · the season, not the day

As held on the ledger · 2026-07-24
PhaseMarkup
Quantitative stateThe statistical read favours the buyers, held for 21 days
Price$91.74
Valuation36.40 trailing · 28.95 forward price to earnings
Values screenFAIL · score 10.0
Beta1.33

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Our framework reads AVOID — it trades above our $78.02 fair value estimate, moderate competitive moat, 22.30% revenue growth.

Read at
$91.74
36.40 P/E · 28.95 fwd
Our fair value
$78.02
15% premium
Analyst target (avg)
$108.50
+18% to current
Target low $70.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $122.00
▲ current $91.74 · | average target

Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going

$130$69$7TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONAnalyst high$122.00 +43%Analyst avg$108.50 +27%Our fair value$78.02 -9%Conservative$63.00 -26%

The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street

Current
$91.74
you are here
Conservative
$63.00
-31%
Analyst avg
$108.50
+18%
Our fair value
$78.02
-15%
Analyst high
$122.00
+33%

Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.

Reading the gap · Our more conservative model reads it as fully-to-richly valued here, while the Street is more bullish — a quality-at-a-fair-price name rather than a deep-value one.

Revenue growth22.30%
Profit margin16.47%
Debt to equity204.15
Analyst consensusBuy · 12 covering

Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.

The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English

This company is excluded by both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. It fails on both:

The common standard · AAOIFI
Used by most halal investing apps
✗ DOES NOT PASS
Our stricter standard · asset-based
The one Titan applies
✗ DOES NOT PASS

Why it fails. The problem is its business activity screen. Because both standards agree on this, it is a clear exclusion, not a borderline case.

What these two standards are, and how they differ →

  • Business activity Business activity: Financials sector Fail

Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.

The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean

Brokers loved by traders still fail our test

Interactive Brokers sits at the centre of electronic trading for retail and institutions alike. Orders flow through its platform every second across stocks, options and futures. The numbers look solid, with 17% revenue growth and a 24% return on equity.

We pass anyway. The shares trade at 30 times forward earnings against our fair value of $75, a 17% premium to the current price. On top of that the business fails our activity screen, which rules it out regardless of the growth or the moderate moat.

Analysts still push a $105 median target and a buy rating, yet the ethical flag and the stretched valuation sit in plain sight. The combination leaves little room for error if volumes slow. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E28.9x
priced for continued growth
Trailing P/E36.4x
expensive — the price assumes strong growth ahead
Revenue growth22.3%
strong top-line growth
Profit margin16.5%
healthy profit margins
Return on equity24.0%
an exceptional return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity2.04
heavy leverage — higher risk if revenue softens
Current ratio1.10
adequate liquidity, worth monitoring
Beta1.33
moves a little more than the market
Market cap$155.6B
Employees3,232

The risks · The things to watch: it already moves more than the market on an average day; it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.

Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.

Latest news · what the market is reading on IBKR

Headlines from third-party outlets, linked for reference — not our reporting, not advice.

Related securities · others in IBKR's space worth a look

Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.

Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are

IBKR trades on a US exchange. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.

The trader read · the latest dated commentary

The framework has shifted from accumulation to markup since the last review. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 8.7% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 18% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 67%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 37%. The street (10 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $86. Entered 2026-08-01 · Markup

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-08-01 Markup · changed $91.74 +8.7% Entry 4

The framework has shifted from accumulation to markup since the last review. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 8.7% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 18% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 67%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 37%. The street (10 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $86.

2026-07-18 Accumulation $84.40 +0.0% Entry 3

The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 18% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 67%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 37%. The street (10 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $86.

2026-07-03 Accumulation $84.40 +0.0% Entry 2

The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Accumulation $84.40 Entry 1

The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.

Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.

The insider ledger · Form 4 filings, as filed

Most recent filings · IBKR
DateInsiderTitleTypeSharesValue
2026-05-01 CONKLING LORI A Director 25 $1,991
2026-04-28 HARRIS LAWRENCE E Director 26,000 $2,000,180
2026-04-01 CONKLING LORI A Director 25 $1,710
2026-03-02 CONKLING LORI A Director 75 $5,391
2026-01-27 NEMSER EARL H Officer and Director 155,000 $11,755,911
2026-01-23 NEMSER EARL H Officer and Director 245,000 $18,969,682
2025-12-31 YUEN NICOLE Director 389 $25,017
2025-12-31 YUEN NICOLE Director 389 $25,017
2025-12-31 REPETTO RICHARD H Director 389 $25,017
2025-12-31 REPETTO RICHARD H Director 389 $25,017

Public filings, recorded as found. The full tape lives at Insider Intelligence.

The political ledger · congressional disclosures

Disclosures naming IBKR
DatePoliticianPartyTypeAmount
27 May2026 Ro Khanna Democrat buy 1K–15K
2026-04-13 Ro Khanna Democrat Purchase 1K–15K

What holding actually paid · price plus dividends

If $1,000 had been placed · historical, not a promise
PeriodPrice thenPrice returnDivs per share$1,000 becameTotal return
1 month $84.82 +0.6% $0.09 $1,007 +0.7%
2 months $71.14 +20.0% $0.09 $1,201 +20.1%
3 months $66.85 +27.7% $0.09 $1,278 +27.8%
6 months $65.92 +29.5% $0.17 $1,298 +29.8%
1 year $51.03 +67.3% $0.33 $1,679 +67.9%
2 years $31.03 +175.1% $0.60 $2,770 +177.0%
3 years $19.63 +334.8% $0.73 $4,385 +338.5%
5 years $15.93 +436.0% $0.93 $5,418 +441.8%

Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever IBKR does next, these words stay.

Interactive Brokers · IBKR · Markup · $91.74
Recorded 2026-07-24 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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