Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-24 · Permanent

Goldman Sachs logoGoldman Sachs GS

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 · The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

The label
Markup

read at $1,061.23

Goldman Sachs holds its Markup at $1,061.23.

PHINPOOPSC
  • 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 · 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 · 2026-07-24
PhaseMarkup
Quantitative stateConsolidating, no directional conviction, held for 50 days
Price$1,061.23
Valuation16.37 trailing · 14.47 forward price to earnings
Values screenFAIL · score 10.0
Beta1.29

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Our framework reads AVOID — it trades at roughly a 6% discount to our $1,125.17 fair value, moderate competitive moat, 42.50% revenue growth.

Read at
$1,061.23
16.37 P/E · 14.47 fwd
Our fair value
$1,125.17
6% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$1,150.00
+8% to current
Target low $730.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $1,325.00
▲ current $1,061.23 · | average target

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

$1,406$819$232TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONAnalyst high$1,325.00 +32%Analyst avg$1,150.00 +15%Our fair value$1,125.17 +12%Conservative$825.26 -18%

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

Current
$1,061.23
you are here
Conservative
$825.26
-22%
Analyst avg
$1,150.00
+8%
Our fair value
$1,125.17
+6%
Analyst high
$1,325.00
+25%

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 growth42.50%
Profit margin31.04%
Debt to equity647.15
Analyst consensusHold · 20 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 business activity screen. 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 Business activity: Financials sector 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.

The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean

Banking giant fails the ethical screen outright

Every big corporate deal or government bond issue eventually runs through names like this one. Goldman Sachs is the most respected player in capital markets yet we are staying away for one reason that has nothing to do with the numbers. The business activity screen flags it on ethical grounds and that is exactly what the screen is meant to catch.

Revenue is growing at 42 percent with a 31 percent profit margin and 17 percent ROE, while the forward multiple sits at 14.8 times. The shares trade only 4 percent below our fair value and analysts sit on a hold rating with a median target of 1148. None of that moves the needle once the ethical test is failed.

Risk sits in the same business lines that triggered the screen plus the usual cyclical swings in trading and deal flow. Even a moderate moat does not offset the clear ethical red flag here. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E14.5x
cheap for a company growing this fast
Trailing P/E16.4x
reasonably valued
Revenue growth42.5%
growing very fast
Profit margin31.0%
highly profitable on every dollar of sales
Return on equity17.0%
a solid return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity6.47
heavy leverage — higher risk if revenue softens
Current ratio2.57
comfortably covers its short-term bills
Beta1.29
moves a little more than the market
Market cap$313.1B
Employees47,000

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.

Latest news · what the market is reading on GS

Headlines from third-party outlets, linked for reference — not our reporting, not advice.

Related securities · others in GS'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

GS 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 up 2.2% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 18% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 66%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 32%. The street (20 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $948. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. Entered 2026-07-31 · Markup

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-31 Markup $1,061.23 +2.2% 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 up 2.2% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 18% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 66%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 32%. The street (20 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $948. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter.

2026-07-18 Markup $1,038.68 +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 excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 18% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 66%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 32%. The street (20 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $948. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter.

2026-07-03 Markup $1,038.68 +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 excellent risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Markup $1,038.68 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 excellent 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 · GS
DateInsiderTitleTypeSharesValue
2026-05-14 Coleman Denis P. CFO Sale 6,857 $6,675,613
2026-05-06 Ruemmler Kathryn H. GC, GC Sale 14,292 $13,421,235
2026-05-01 Solomon David M COB, CEO Sale 10,301 $9,571,354
2026-05-01 Fredman Sheara J Chief Accounting Officer Sale 683 $634,927
2026-05-01 Ruemmler Kathryn H. GC, GC Sale 1,116 $1,044,782
2026-04-23 Golten Alex S CHIEF RISK OFFICER Sale 2,292 $2,143,045
2026-04-17 Golten Alex S CHIEF RISK OFFICER Sale 1,115 $1,024,895
2026-02-11 Rogers John F.W. EVP Sale 15,855 $15,210,754
2026-02-09 Coleman Denis P. CFO Sale 11,623 $10,943,892
2026-02-09 Golten Alex S CHIEF RISK OFFICER Sale 2,292 $2,143,045

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

The political ledger · congressional disclosures

Disclosures naming GS
DatePoliticianPartyTypeAmount
9 Apr2026 Josh Gottheimer Democrat sell 15K–50K
9 Apr2026 Josh Gottheimer Democrat sell 1K–15K
8 May2026 Ro Khanna Democrat buy 1K–15K
7 May2026 Tim Moore Republican buy 1K–15K
6 May2026 Dave McCormick Republican buy 100K–250K

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 $940.71 +6.5% $4.50 $1,070 +7.0%
2 months $903.82 +10.8% $4.50 $1,113 +11.3%
3 months $784.06 +27.8% $4.50 $1,283 +28.3%
6 months $902.28 +11.0% $9.00 $1,120 +12.0%
1 year $602.74 +66.2% $17.00 $1,690 +69.0%
2 years $435.47 +130.0% $29.00 $2,367 +136.7%
3 years $313.22 +219.8% $40.00 $3,326 +232.6%
5 years $334.92 +199.1% $58.00 $3,164 +216.4%

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

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

Goldman Sachs · GS · Markup · $1,061.23
Recorded 2026-07-24 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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