Positioning no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
Options no verdict drawn today, left as found
Ethical does not pass the values gate
Price10.61 USD
Fair value14.00
Ethical score70.0/100
Our investment reviews on this name
2026-09-24Read Markdown10.61+0.0% to today
2026-07-21Read Accumulation10.15+4.5% to today ✓
2026-07-02Read Distribution9.35+13.5% to today
Our analytic regime reads on this name, dated and marked against the screened price. Small sample per name, and separate from the daily-framework accuracy on the Track Record page.
Ardent Health, Inc. holds its Markdown at $10.61. The statistical read favours the buyers, held for 52 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-09-21
Phase
Markdown · caution
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the buyers, held for 52 days
Price at the screen
$10.61
Valuation
19.29 trailing · 8.45 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 70.0
Beta
0.71
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
43.82%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is 43.8% 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
26.38%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 26.4% of assets, under the 49% limit.
Pass
Revenue purity
0.00%
Below 5%
Only 0.0% 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.
The Ethical Read
Why It Falls Short, in Plain English
Ardent Health,'s business is in a permissible area, but its interest-bearing debt is about 44% of the company, well over the ~33% line, so it does not pass on the financial screens.
Read as at 2026-09-24. It updates when the underlying figures move, and past reads are kept below.
Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-09-21 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. A 32.0% margin of safety to the base estimate.
Third-party analyst targets: 11 covering, consensus Buy. The average target sits +23% from the screen price.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.
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 2026-09-21 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
Hospitals Treating Real Patients Trade at a Discount
Picture a local clinic where a family gets care after an accident or a routine check. The cash still has to flow through operators that run dozens of these sites across states. Ardent Health owns and manages that network yet carries an opportunity rating of none despite a forward multiple of 8.2 times and revenue growth near 7 percent.
The balance sheet shows a 2 percent profit margin alongside 14 percent return on equity and an ethical screen that clears cleanly. Analyst consensus sits at buy with a median target of 12 dollars. Those figures look steady on paper but the unknown moat and slim margins leave little room for error when reimbursement rates shift.
Healthcare operators face constant pressure from regulation and payer mix that can erode even modest profits quickly. Thin returns also mean any slowdown in patient volumes hits earnings hard and leaves valuation looking less attractive than it first appears. Analysis, not advice.
The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Where & How to Trade
ARDT trades on the NYSE. 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 Dated Journal · Newest First, Never Edited
Every Entry, As Written
2026-09-24Markdown · changed$10.61-4.4%Entry 7
The framework has shifted from accumulation to markdown since the last review. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 4.4% 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 C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 30%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (11 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $12.
2026-08-21Accumulation$11.10+9.4%Entry 6
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved up 9.4% 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 C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 30%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (11 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $12.
The framework has shifted from distribution to accumulation since the last review. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved up 8.6% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. 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 neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 30%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (11 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $12.
2026-07-18Distribution$9.35+0.0%Entry 4
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. 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 neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 30%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (11 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $12.
2026-07-17Distribution$9.35+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). 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 neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 30%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (11 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $12.
2026-07-03Distribution$9.35+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Distribution$9.35Entry 1
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). 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.
