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 · 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.
VERDICT
The label
Markup
read at $162.21
Lamar Advertising Co holds its Markup at $162.21.
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.
INVESTOR
The investor read · the season, not the day
As held on the ledger · 2026-07-29
Phase
Markup
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the sellers, held for 19 days
Price
$162.21
Valuation
29.65 trailing · 25.38 forward price to earnings
Values screen
PASS· score 70.0
Beta
1.22
OPPORTUNITY
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Read at
$162.21
29.65 P/E · 25.38 fwd
Our fair value
$131.12
19% premium
Analyst target (avg)
$160.00
-1% to current
Target low $150.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $170.00
▲ current $162.21 · | 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
$162.21
you are here
Conservative
$131.12
-19%
Analyst avg
$160.00
-1%
Our fair value
$131.12
-19%
Analyst high
$170.00
+5%
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
4.40%
Profit margin
24.02%
Debt to equity
504.80
Analyst consensus
Hold · 5 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
It depends which standard you follow. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor, and on this company they disagree. Here is how it did on each:
The common standard· AAOIFI Used by most halal investing apps✗ DOES NOT PASS
Our stricter standard· asset-based The one Titan applies✓ PASSES
Why the two disagree. They fall out over one thing only: the company’s debt. Our stricter standard measures that debt against what the company owns, and it works out too high to pass. The common standard measures the same debt against what the company is worth on the stock market, where it works out low enough to pass. Every other check, the two agree on. So in practice, most halal apps would treat this as fine to hold, while our stricter view would not — and which line you follow is between you and your scholar.
Business activityIts core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.Pass
Debt loadInterest-bearing debt is of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Against market value it is 30.1%, under the 30% line the market-value standard uses — so that standard clears it.Divergent
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
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.
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
TRADER
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
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. Entered 2026-07-18 · Markup
JOURNAL
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
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.
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
$152.26
-1.6%
·
$984
-1.6%
2 months
$133.43
+12.3%
·
$1,123
+12.3%
3 months
$132.33
+13.2%
$1.60
$1,144
+14.4%
6 months
$125.87
+19.0%
$3.40
$1,217
+21.7%
1 year
$115.53
+29.7%
$6.50
$1,353
+35.3%
2 years
$106.20
+41.1%
$12.40
$1,527
+52.7%
3 years
$79.92
+87.4%
$17.45
$2,093
+109.3%
5 years
$83.99
+78.4%
$26.95
$2,104
+110.4%
Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
SEALED
This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever LAMR does next, these words stay.
Lamar Advertising Co · LAMR · Markup · $162.21
Recorded 2026-07-29 · before the outcome · scored mechanically
