Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-05-13 · Permanent

Advantage Solutions Inc. ADV

Outside both 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 · Advantage Solutions Inc.

The label
Distribution

read at $38.75

Advantage Solutions Inc. holds its Distribution at $38.75.

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 · 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.

The investor read · the season, not the day

As held on the ledger · 2026-05-13
PhaseDistribution · caution
Quantitative stateConsolidating, no directional conviction, held for 1 days
Price$38.75
Valuation0.00 trailing · 3.65 forward price to earnings
Values screenFAIL · score 10.0
Beta2.11

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Our framework reads AVOID — it trades at roughly a 29% discount to our $50.00 fair value, weak competitive moat, 5.80% revenue growth.

Read at
$38.75
0.00 P/E · 3.65 fwd
Our fair value
$50.00
29% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$42.50
+10% to current
Target low $35.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $50.00
▲ current $38.75 · | average target

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

$328$162$-4TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONConservative$50.00 +29%Our fair value$50.00 +29%Analyst high$50.00 +29%Analyst avg$42.50 +10%

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

Current
$38.75
you are here
Conservative
$50.00
+29%
Analyst avg
$42.50
+10%
Our fair value
$50.00
+29%
Analyst high
$50.00
+29%

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 growth5.80%
Profit margin-6.78%
Debt to equity3.24
Analyst consensusBuy · 2 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 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 debt ratio. Because both standards agree on this, it is a clear exclusion, not a borderline case.

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 341.1% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Fail
  • Interest-bearing cash Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 31.7% of assets, under the one-third limit. Pass
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is 0.0% 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

Why it gives us pause

At 3.7x forward earnings, the price already runs ahead of the business. Our fair value sits at $50.00, below where it trades today. The weak moat is real, but quality alone does not make an expensive price cheap.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E3.7x
cheap for a company growing this fast
Trailing P/E0.0x
Revenue growth5.8%
slow but positive growth
Profit margin-6.8%
currently unprofitable
Return on equity-41.5%
not currently earning a positive return on equity
Debt to equity3.24
heavy leverage — higher risk if revenue softens
Current ratio1.95
healthy short-term liquidity
Beta2.11
much more volatile than the market
Market cap$453M
Employees16,000

The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market; it already moves more than the market on an average day; 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 · wherever in the world you are

ADV 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.

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: 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 B. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 6%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 26%. The street (2 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42. Entered 2026-07-20 · Markup

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-20 Markup $38.75 +0.0% Entry 5

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: 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 B. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 6%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 26%. The street (2 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42.

2026-07-18 Markup $38.75 +0.0% 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 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 B. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 6%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 26%. The street (2 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42.

2026-07-16 Markup $38.75 +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: 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 B. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 6%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 26%. The street (2 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42.

2026-07-03 Markup $38.75 +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: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Markup $38.75 Entry 1

The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. 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.

The insider ledger · Form 4 filings, as filed

Most recent filings · ADV
DateInsiderTitleTypeSharesValue
2026-03-23 KILTS JAMES M Director 64,553 $50,296
2026-03-11 KILTS JAMES M Director 16,759 $11,725
2026-03-10 KILTS JAMES M Director 141,867 $92,922
2026-03-09 PEACOCK DAVID A Chief Executive Officer 287,736 ·
2026-03-06 GROWE CHRISTOPHER R Chief Financial Officer 50,000 $30,240
2026-03-05 PEACOCK DAVID A Chief Executive Officer 200,000 $128,780
2025-09-02 HARSH JEFFREY STEPHEN Officer 144,508 ·
2025-06-12 GROWE CHRISTOPHER R Chief Financial Officer 65,116 ·
2025-06-12 TAYLOR MICHAEL LARRY Officer 116,279 ·
2025-06-06 KILTS JAMES M Director 9,700 $12,485

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

The political ledger · congressional disclosures

Disclosures naming ADV
DatePoliticianPartyTypeAmount
5 May2026 Josh Gottheimer Democrat buy 1K–15K
5 Jun2026 Gil Cisneros Democrat buy 1K–15K
27 Apr2026 Josh Gottheimer Democrat buy 1K–15K
23 Apr2026 Josh Gottheimer Democrat buy 1K–15K
2026-04-27 Josh Gottheimer Democrat Purchase 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 $35.84 +8.2% · $1,082 +8.2%
2 months $26.58 +45.9% · $1,459 +45.9%
3 months $18.48 +109.9% · $2,099 +109.9%
6 months $24.13 +60.7% · $1,607 +60.7%
1 year $36.75 +5.5% · $1,055 +5.5%
2 years $74.75 -48.1% · $519 -48.1%
3 years $52.75 -26.5% · $735 -26.5%
5 years $305.25 -87.3% · $127 -87.3%

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

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

Advantage Solutions Inc. · ADV · Distribution · $38.75
Recorded 2026-05-13 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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