Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-19 · Permanent

USA Compression Partners, LP logoUSA Compression Partners, LP USAC

Clears the common standard

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 · USA Compression Partners, LP provides natural gas compression services in the United States.

The label
Distribution

read at $26.09

USA Compression Partners, LP holds its Distribution at $26.09.

PHINPOOPSC
  • PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Distribution 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
PhaseDistribution · caution
Quantitative stateConsolidating, no directional conviction, held for 11 days
Price$26.09
Valuation26.62 trailing · 14.59 forward price to earnings
Values screenPASS · score 70.0
Beta0.18

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Read at
$26.09
26.62 P/E · 14.59 fwd
Our fair value
$22.06
16% premium
Analyst target (avg)
$29.00
+11% to current
Target low $28.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $33.00
▲ current $26.09 · | average target

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

$34.9$21.3$7.8TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONAnalyst high$33.00 +19%Analyst avg$29.00 +4%Conservative$22.06 -21%Our fair value$22.06 -21%

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

Current
$26.09
you are here
Conservative
$22.06
-15%
Analyst avg
$29.00
+11%
Our fair value
$22.06
-15%
Analyst high
$33.00
+26%

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 growth35.10%
Profit margin11.91%
Debt to equity945.48
Analyst consensusHold · 5 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

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.

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. Against market value it is 79.2%, under the 30% line the market-value standard uses — so that standard clears it. Divergent
  • 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

Compression Pumps Ride A Volatile Energy Cycle

Picture a fleet of compressors humming only when drillers are flush with cash and gas volumes surge. USA Compression Partners keeps those machines running for producers across the US, yet the shares trade above our fair value with a negative margin of safety. Strong recent revenue growth and an eye-catching ROE do not change the fact that the current price leaves no room for error in a business tied to commodity swings.

The forward multiple sits at a seemingly modest level, but this is exactly the cyclical value trap we flag. Peak earnings and high returns on equity often coincide with the top of the cycle, making a low multiple a warning rather than a bargain. Analyst targets sit higher, yet the consensus remains a hold and our opportunity rating is none.

Risk sits in the energy price cycle itself. When drilling slows, utilisation and cash flow can drop sharply, and the unknown moat offers little protection. Ethical screen passes, but valuation and sector timing do not line up. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E14.6x
cheap for a company growing this fast
Trailing P/E26.6x
a premium valuation
Revenue growth35.1%
strong top-line growth
Profit margin11.9%
thin but positive margins
Return on equity84.8%
an exceptional return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity9.45
heavy leverage — higher risk if revenue softens
Current ratio1.55
healthy short-term liquidity
Beta0.18
barely tracks the market's swings
Market cap$3.8B
Employees885

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.

Related securities · others in USAC'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

USAC trades on the NYSE. 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 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 B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 17% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 20%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 21%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $29. Entered 2026-07-18 · Markup

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-18 Markup $26.73 +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 B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 17% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 20%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 21%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $29.

2026-07-03 Markup $26.73 +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.

2026-07-02 Markup $26.73 Entry 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.

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 $27.43 +1.5% · $1,015 +1.5%
2 months $27.04 +2.9% $0.53 $1,049 +4.9%
3 months $26.73 +4.1% $0.53 $1,061 +6.1%
6 months $23.63 +17.8% $1.05 $1,222 +22.2%
1 year $23.27 +19.6% $2.10 $1,286 +28.6%
2 years $20.21 +37.7% $4.20 $1,585 +58.5%
3 years $15.45 +80.1% $6.30 $2,209 +120.9%
5 years $9.64 +188.6% $10.50 $3,974 +297.4%

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

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

USA Compression Partners, LP · USAC · Distribution · $26.09
Recorded 2026-07-19 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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