Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-29 · Permanent

Zebra Technologies logoZebra Technologies ZBRA

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 · Zebra Technologies Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates in the automatic identification and data capture solutions industry worldwide.

The label
Accumulation

read at $284.40

Zebra Technologies holds its Accumulation at $284.40.

PHINPOOPSC
  • PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Accumulation 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 · 2026-07-29
PhaseAccumulation
Quantitative stateThe statistical read favours the sellers, held for 9 days
Price$284.40
Valuation31.96 trailing · 13.73 forward price to earnings
Values screenPASS · score 85.3
Beta1.61

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Our framework reads OPPORTUNITY — it trades at roughly a 41% discount to our $400.00 fair value, narrow competitive moat, 14.30% revenue growth.

Read at
$284.40
31.96 P/E · 13.73 fwd
Our fair value
$400.00
41% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$332.50
+17% to current
Target low $292.02Analyst target rangeTarget high $400.00
▲ current $284.40 · | average target

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

$533$356$180TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONConservative$400.00 +85%Our fair value$400.00 +85%Analyst high$400.00 +85%Analyst avg$332.50 +53%

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

Current
$284.40
you are here
Conservative
$400.00
+41%
Analyst avg
$332.50
+17%
Our fair value
$400.00
+41%
Analyst high
$400.00
+41%

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 analysts see meaningful upside from here.

Revenue growth14.30%
Profit margin7.49%
Debt to equity82.10
Analyst consensusBuy · 16 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 just 31.7% of its assets, well under the one-third ceiling — it does not run on borrowed money. Pass
  • Interest-bearing cash Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 0.0% of assets, under the one-third limit. Pass
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is 10.9% of assets, under the 49% limit. Pass
  • 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

Zebra Scanners Power the Invisible Supply Chain

Every warehouse worker scanning a parcel or fleet manager tracking a container relies on Zebra's hardware to keep goods moving. The company sits at the centre of automatic data capture with 14% revenue growth, a 12.9x forward P/E and a 50% gap between the current $267 price and our $400 fair value. A narrow moat, 12% ROE and clean ethical screen support the case for steady compounding in a fragmented market.

Analysts see the same runway, with seventeen covering the name and a median target of $335. Profit margins sit at 7%, yet the business converts growth into cash without the heavy balance-sheet risks that often accompany hardware plays.

The main risks are execution in a competitive field and exposure to industrial cycles that can flatten orders quickly. Narrow moats offer less protection if larger rivals decide to bundle similar tools. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E13.7x
fairly priced for its growth rate
Trailing P/E32.0x
a premium valuation
Revenue growth14.3%
steady growth
Profit margin7.5%
thin but positive margins
Return on equity11.8%
a modest return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity0.82
moderate, manageable leverage
Current ratio0.96
below 1 — short-term bills exceed liquid assets
Beta1.61
much more volatile than the market
Market cap$13.5B
Employees10,700

The risks · The things to watch: it already moves more than the market on an average day.

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

Related securities · others in ZBRA'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

ZBRA trades on a US exchange. 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 strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are down 28%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 20%. The street (17 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $329. Entered 2026-07-18 · Markup

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-18 Markup $232.11 +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 strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are down 28%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 20%. The street (17 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $329.

2026-07-03 Markup $232.11 +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 strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Markup $232.11 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 strong ethical credentials. 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.

The insider ledger · Form 4 filings, as filed

Most recent filings · ZBRA
DateInsiderTitleTypeSharesValue
2026-05-14 ROBERTS JANICE M Director 3,000 $748,620
2026-04-08 BURNS WILLIAM Chief Executive Officer 358 ·
2026-04-07 GUSTAFSSON PER ANDERS Director 32,862 $1,813,493
2026-03-12 DHANASEKARAN SATISH Director 200 $41,080
2026-03-05 KOGL CRISTEN L Officer 145 $34,178
2026-03-05 ARMSTRONG ROBERT JOHN JR Officer 9 $2,068
2026-03-05 WINTERS NATHAN ANDREW Chief Financial Officer 33 $6,769
2026-03-05 ARMSTRONG ROBERT JOHN JR Officer 17 $3,487
2026-03-05 KOGL CRISTEN L Officer 287 $58,869
2026-03-03 FROESE TAMARA DIONNE Officer 2,412 ·

Public filings, recorded as found. The full tape lives at Insider Intelligence.

The political ledger · congressional disclosures

Disclosures naming ZBRA
DatePoliticianPartyTypeAmount
15 May2026 Ro Khanna Democrat buy 1K–15K
1 May2026 Ro Khanna Democrat buy 1K–15K

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 $216.96 -0.1% · $999 -0.1%
2 months $222.13 -2.4% · $976 -2.4%
3 months $204.05 +6.2% · $1,062 +6.2%
6 months $273.54 -20.8% · $793 -20.8%
1 year $299.56 -27.6% · $724 -27.6%
2 years $302.60 -28.4% · $716 -28.4%
3 years $274.66 -21.1% · $789 -21.1%
5 years $508.48 -57.4% · $426 -57.4%

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

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

Zebra Technologies · ZBRA · Accumulation · $284.40
Recorded 2026-07-29 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

Get our weekly market brief free.