Lamar Advertising Company is one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in North America, with over 362,000 displays across the United States and Canada.
FAIL · Does not pass the screen
151.50 USD
At the last full screen 2026-09-02
Screened 2026-09-02 · the tape above runs as of 22:12 UTC · 11 Sep · two dates, stated on purpose · verdict and workings shown in full · never trimmed
The Label · The Season, Not the Day
This name holds its markdown label.
Lamar Advertising Co holds its Markdown at $151.50. The statistical read favours the sellers, held for 19 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-09-02
Phase
Markdown · caution
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the sellers, held for 19 days
Price at the screen
$151.50
Valuation
27.65 trailing · 23.38 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 70.0
Beta
1.21
The Workings
Five Screens, Shown in Full
Does not pass. Debt ratio
Test
Figure
Limit
What it means
Status
Business activity
Permissible
Core business clean
Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines: no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.
Pass
Debt load
70.96%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is 71.0% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows.
Fail
Interest-bearing cash
0.00%
Below 33%
Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 0.0% of assets, under the one-third limit.
Pass
Receivables
5.86%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 5.9% of assets, under the 49% limit.
Pass
Revenue purity
0.11%
Below 5%
Only 0.1% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources, under the 5% line.
Pass
Five checks adapted from AAOIFI screening standards: business activity plus four balance-sheet ratios. All five must pass for ethical clearance. Every figure is arithmetic on public accounts, not judgement.
Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-09-02 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. The price runs 13.0% above the base estimate.
Third-party analyst targets: 5 covering, consensus None. The average target sits +6% from the screen price.
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.
Price History & Projections
Where it has been, where the models see it going. History from market close data; projection points are our fair-value estimates and third-party analyst targets, dated to the 2026-09-02 screen.
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; the Street's range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The Business, in Plain Words
Highway billboards face a steep valuation climb
Drive along any US interstate and the billboards still catch the eye, yet Lamar trades at a 24 percent premium to our fair value with a forward multiple of 25 times on just 4 percent revenue growth. The narrow moat and 55 percent ROE look impressive on paper, but the business remains tied to advertising budgets that expand only when the economy feels confident. Analysts see little upside and sit on a hold rating near the current price, which matches our view that nothing here justifies stretching the valuation further.
The real constraint is growth. A 24 percent profit margin is respectable for outdoor media, yet single-digit top-line expansion leaves little room for error once digital platforms continue to siphon ad dollars. Ethical screens are cleared, which removes one objection, but that alone does not turn an expensive REIT-style business into an opportunity.
Risk sits in the cyclical nature of ad spend and the narrow moat that offers little protection if local economies slow. At current levels the numbers simply do not support ownership. Analysis, not advice.
The risks · The things to watch: it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Where & How to Trade
LAMR trades on NASDAQ. As a listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering its home market. New to this, or investing from abroad? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The framework has shifted from markup to distribution since the last review. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 6.6% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. 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 17% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 30%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 17%. The street (5 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $156.
2026-08-04Markup$162.21+5.1%Entry 4
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 5.1% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. 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 17% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 30%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 17%. The street (5 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $156.
2026-07-18Markup$154.35+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. 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 17% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 30%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 17%. The street (5 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $156.
2026-07-03Markup$154.35+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. 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.
2026-07-02Markup$154.35Entry 1
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. 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.
