Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-27 · Permanent

Steel Dynamics logoSteel Dynamics STLD

Clears both ethical 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 · Steel Dynamics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a steel producer and metal recycler in the United States.

The label
Markup

read at $250.27

Steel Dynamics holds its Markup at $250.27.

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 · passes 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 · 2026-07-27
PhaseMarkup
Quantitative stateThe statistical read favours the buyers, held for 1 days
Price$250.27
Valuation22.71 trailing · 13.27 forward price to earnings
Values screenPASS · score 86.6
Beta1.54

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Our framework reads OPPORTUNITY — it trades above our $212.70 fair value estimate, narrow competitive moat, 33.40% revenue growth.

Read at
$250.27
22.71 P/E · 13.27 fwd
Our fair value
$212.70
15% premium
Analyst target (avg)
$266.00
+6% to current
Target low $221.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $310.00
▲ current $250.27 · | average target

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

$330$185$40TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONAnalyst high$310.00 +16%Analyst avg$266.00 -1%Our fair value$212.70 -21%Conservative$198.90 -26%

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

Current
$250.27
you are here
Conservative
$198.90
-21%
Analyst avg
$266.00
+6%
Our fair value
$212.70
-15%
Analyst high
$310.00
+24%

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 growth33.40%
Profit margin7.83%
Debt to equity46.92
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 clears both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. Here is how it did on each:

The common standard · AAOIFI
Used by most halal investing apps
✓ PASSES
Our stricter standard · asset-based
The one Titan applies
✓ PASSES

What these two standards are, and how they differ →

  • Business activity Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending. Pass
  • Debt load Interest-bearing debt is just 25.6% of its assets, well under the one-third ceiling — it does not run on borrowed money. Pass
  • Interest-bearing cash Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 0.0% of assets, under the one-third limit. Pass
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is 14.9% of assets, under the 49% limit. Pass
  • Revenue purity Only 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line. Pass

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

Steel supplier riding a fragile boom

When a new warehouse or car plant opens, the steel has to come from somewhere. Steel Dynamics is supplying plenty of it right now, with revenue up 19 percent and a 15 percent return on equity.

It clears the ethical screen and sits on the opportunity list at 12.5 times forward earnings. Analysts see further upside toward 268, yet the shares already trade above our fair value with only a narrow moat.

The bigger worry is the cycle. In steel, a low multiple often signals peak earnings rather than a bargain, and demand can drop fast when construction or autos slow.

Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E13.3x
cheap for a company growing this fast
Trailing P/E22.7x
a premium valuation
Revenue growth33.4%
strong top-line growth
Profit margin7.8%
thin but positive margins
Return on equity17.6%
a solid return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity0.47
minimal debt — a conservative balance sheet
Current ratio3.18
comfortably covers its short-term bills
Beta1.54
much more volatile than the market
Market cap$36.1B
Employees14,400

The risks · The things to watch: it already moves more than the market on an average day.

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

Latest news · what the market is reading on STLD

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

Related securities · others in STLD'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

STLD 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 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: PASS with strong ethical credentials. 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 46% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 103%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 29%. The street (12 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $241. Entered 2026-07-18 · Accumulation

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-18 Accumulation $268.50 +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: PASS with strong ethical credentials. 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 46% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 103%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 29%. The street (12 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $241.

2026-07-03 Accumulation $268.50 +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: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Accumulation $268.50 Entry 1

The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. 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 · STLD
DateInsiderTitleTypeSharesValue
2026-05-14 POINSATTE RICHARD A Officer 200 ·
2026-05-13 GRAHAM CHRISTOPHER A. Officer 9,000 $2,131,290
2026-05-12 POINSATTE RICHARD A Officer 2,300 $538,453
2026-05-06 TEETS RICHARD P JR Director 158 ·
2026-05-06 BARGABOS SHEREE L. Director 158 ·
2026-05-06 HAMANN JENNIFER L Director 79 ·
2026-04-23 ALVAREZ MIGUEL Officer 4,825 $1,088,428
2026-04-23 CORNEW KENNETH W Director 5,000 $1,124,358
2026-04-10 TEETS RICHARD P JR Director 9 ·
2026-04-10 SHAHEEN GABRIEL L Director 157 ·

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

The political ledger · congressional disclosures

Disclosures naming STLD
DatePoliticianPartyTypeAmount
1 May2026 Ro Khanna Democrat buy 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 $235.97 +13.7% · $1,137 +13.7%
2 months $190.57 +40.8% · $1,408 +40.8%
3 months $174.56 +53.7% $0.53 $1,540 +54.0%
6 months $171.97 +56.0% $1.03 $1,566 +56.6%
1 year $132.02 +103.3% $2.03 $2,048 +104.8%
2 years $120.15 +123.3% $3.91 $2,266 +126.6%
3 years $94.99 +182.5% $5.65 $2,884 +188.4%
5 years $60.16 +346.0% $8.21 $4,597 +359.7%

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

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

Steel Dynamics · STLD · Markup · $250.27
Recorded 2026-07-27 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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