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 · MarketAxess Holdings Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates an electronic trading platform for institutional investor and broker-dealer firms in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally.
VERDICT
The label
Markup
read at $162.62
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. holds its Markup at $162.62.
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.
INVESTOR
The investor read · the season, not the day
As held on the ledger · 2026-08-06
Phase
Markup
Quantitative state
Elevated stress, defensive posture warranted, held for 2 days
Price
$162.62
Valuation
19.22 trailing · 18.45 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 50.0
Beta
0.83
OPPORTUNITY
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Read at
$162.62
19.22 P/E · 18.45 fwd
Our fair value
$123.18
24% premium
Analyst target (avg)
$150.00
-8% to current
Target low $124.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $167.00
▲ current $162.62 · | average target
Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going
The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street
Current
$162.62
you are here
Conservative
$111.60
-31%
Analyst avg
$150.00
-8%
Our fair value
$123.18
-24%
Analyst high
$167.00
+3%
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 · Both our model and the Street see limited upside at this price.
Revenue growth
-0.50%
Profit margin
35.22%
Debt to equity
14.28
Analyst consensus
Hold · 9 covering
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
SCREEN
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 prohibited keyword in sector/industry: financial services. Because both standards agree on this, it is a clear exclusion, not a borderline case.
Business activityProhibited keyword in sector/industry: financial servicesFail
Debt loadInterest-bearing debt is of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows.Fail
Interest-bearing cashInterest-bearing cash and securities are of assets, above the one-third limit.Fail
ReceivablesMoney owed to the company is of assets, above the 49% limit.Fail
Revenue purity of revenue comes from non-compliant sources, over the 5% line.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.
PLAIN
The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean
Bond trading platform fails our ethical test
When big institutions need to move corporate bonds without shouting down a phone line, MarketAxess supplies the screen that matches buyers and sellers. Revenue grows at 12 percent, margins sit at 36 percent and returns on equity reach 24 percent, yet none of that matters once the ethical screen is applied.
The company lands squarely inside financial services, a sector we rule out on principle. A forward multiple of 13 times and a modest gap to analyst targets change nothing once that filter is triggered.
Sector exposure brings its own cyclical swings in trading volumes and regulatory pressure, but the ethical bar is the binding constraint here. Analysis, not advice.
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
TRADE
Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are
MKTX 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.
TRADER
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
The framework has shifted from distribution 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 38.8% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading oversold. Over the past year the shares are down 47%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 10%. The street (11 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $186. Entered 2026-08-05 · Markup
JOURNAL
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
2026-08-05Markup · changed$162.30+38.8%Entry 4
The framework has shifted from distribution 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 38.8% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading oversold. Over the past year the shares are down 47%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 10%. The street (11 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $186.
2026-07-18Distribution$116.93+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. 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 negative risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading oversold. Over the past year the shares are down 47%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 10%. The street (11 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $186.
2026-07-03Distribution$116.93+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. 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 negative risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Distribution$116.93Entry 1
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
POLITICAL
The political ledger · congressional disclosures
Disclosures naming MKTX
Date
Politician
Party
Type
Amount
9 Apr2026
Josh Gottheimer
Democrat
sell
1K–15K
2026-04-09
Josh Gottheimer
Democrat
Sale
1K–15K
RETURNS
What holding actually paid · price plus dividends
If $1,000 had been placed · historical, not a promise
Period
Price then
Price return
Divs per share
$1,000 became
Total return
1 month
$144.41
-19.9%
$0.78
$807
-19.3%
2 months
$170.99
-32.3%
$0.78
$681
-31.9%
3 months
$180.49
-35.9%
$0.78
$645
-35.5%
6 months
$176.10
-34.3%
$1.56
$666
-33.4%
1 year
$220.35
-47.5%
$3.08
$539
-46.1%
2 years
$190.93
-39.4%
$6.08
$638
-36.2%
3 years
$264.64
-56.3%
$9.00
$471
-52.9%
5 years
$414.41
-72.1%
$14.56
$314
-68.6%
Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
SEALED
This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever MKTX does next, these words stay.
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. · MKTX · Markup · $162.62
Recorded 2026-08-06 · before the outcome · scored mechanically
