Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-19 · Permanent

Liquidity Services, Inc. logoLiquidity Services, Inc. LQDT

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 · Liquidity Services, Inc.

The label
Markup

read at $39.52

Liquidity Services, Inc. holds its Markup at $39.52.

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 · 2026-07-19
PhaseMarkup
Quantitative stateElevated stress, defensive posture warranted, held for 109 days
Price$39.52
Valuation42.49 trailing · 23.32 forward price to earnings
Values screenPASS · score 70.0
Beta1.08

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Read at
$39.52
42.49 P/E · 23.32 fwd
Our fair value
$40.64
3% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$44.00
+11% to current

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

$46.2$30.1$14.0TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONAnalyst avg$44.00 +16%Analyst high$44.00 +16%Our fair value$40.64 +7%Conservative$39.60 +5%

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

Current
$39.52
you are here
Conservative
$39.60
+0%
Analyst avg
$44.00
+11%
Our fair value
$40.64
+3%
Analyst high
$44.00
+11%

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 roughly fairly valued here, while the Street is more bullish — a quality-at-a-fair-price name rather than a deep-value one.

Revenue growth3.70%
Profit margin6.30%
Debt to equity6.68
Analyst consensusNone · 2 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 of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Fail
  • Interest-bearing cash Interest-bearing cash and securities are of assets, above the one-third limit. Fail
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is of assets, above the 49% limit. Fail
  • 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

Auction marketplaces struggle for growth at full price

Picture a warehouse manager clearing last season's stock through online bids. Liquidity Services sits in that flow, yet its thin growth and modest returns leave little to excite. With revenue expanding just 4% and a forward multiple of 23 times earnings, the shares sit close to our calculated value and earn no opportunity rating despite clearing the ethical screen.

The business earns a 6% profit margin and 14% return on equity across its government and retail auction segments, numbers that look ordinary rather than durable. Unknown competitive protection and only two analysts covering the name add to the sense that this is not a standout compounder worth stretching for at current levels.

Cyclical retail flows can swing sharply, and a low-teens return profile offers scant cushion if volumes soften. The narrow gap to fair value reinforces the decision to pass. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E23.3x
expensive even after accounting for its growth
Trailing P/E42.5x
expensive — the price assumes strong growth ahead
Revenue growth3.7%
slow but positive growth
Profit margin6.3%
thin but positive margins
Return on equity14.5%
a solid return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity0.07
minimal debt — a conservative balance sheet
Current ratio1.51
healthy short-term liquidity
Beta1.08
moves a little more than the market
Market cap$1.2B
Employees818

The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market.

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

Related securities · others in LQDT'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

LQDT trades on Nasdaq. 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 passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 23% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 54%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 32%. The street (2 analysts) rates it strong buy, with a mean price target of $44. Entered 2026-07-18 · Accumulation

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-18 Accumulation $37.94 +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 passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 23% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 54%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 32%. The street (2 analysts) rates it strong buy, with a mean price target of $44.

2026-07-03 Accumulation $37.94 +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 passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Accumulation $37.94 Entry 1

The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.

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

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 $34.33 +10.4% · $1,104 +10.4%
2 months $32.43 +16.8% · $1,168 +16.8%
3 months $29.22 +29.7% · $1,297 +29.7%
6 months $31.71 +19.5% · $1,195 +19.5%
1 year $24.68 +53.5% · $1,535 +53.5%
2 years $19.30 +96.3% · $1,963 +96.3%
3 years $16.21 +133.7% · $2,337 +133.7%
5 years $22.89 +65.5% · $1,655 +65.5%

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

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

Liquidity Services, Inc. · LQDT · Markup · $39.52
Recorded 2026-07-19 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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