Positioning no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
Options no verdict drawn today, left as found
Ethical does not pass the values gate
Price2.14 USD
Fair value3.36
Ethical score10.0/100
Value readUndervaluedas of 4 Nov 2026
Our investment reviews on this name
2026-11-02Read Markup2.03+5.4% to today ✓Distribution gives way to Markup after an 11% slide in 3 weeks
2026-10-11Read Distribution2.29-6.6% to today ✓Markdown gives way to Distribution
2026-10-02Read Markdown2.29-6.6% to today ✓Distribution gives way to Markdown after a 42% slide in 4 weeks
2026-09-03Read Distribution3.95-45.8% to today ✓Markup gives way to Distribution with volume flow in agreement
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.
KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. holds its Markup at $2.14. Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 34 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-11-04
Phase
Markup
Quantitative state
Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 34 days
Price at the screen
$2.14
Valuation
0.00 trailing · 7.73 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 10.0
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
489.18%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is 489.2% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows.
Fail
Interest-bearing cash
25.74%
Below 33%
Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 25.7% of assets, under the one-third limit.
Pass
Receivables
0.00%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 0.0% of assets, under the 49% limit.
Pass
Revenue purity
0.18%
Below 5%
Only 0.2% 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
KinderCare Learning Companies,'s business is in a permissible area, but its interest-bearing debt is about 489% of the company, well over the ~33% line, so it does not pass on the financial screens.
Read as at 2026-11-05. It updates when the underlying figures move, and past reads are kept below.
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What the Numbers Say It Is Worth
The Fair Value Range
Our analysis reads Undervalued vs our fair value, as of 4 Nov 2026: it trades at roughly a 39% discount to our $3.36 fair value, weak competitive moat, 6.40% revenue growth.
Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-11-04 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. A 36.3% discount to the base estimate.
Where our models see it going: fair-value estimate $3.36, with a range of $2.77 to $4.12, dated to the 2026-11-04 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
Why it stands out
A 6%-growth business trading at just 7.7x forward earnings, with a weak competitive moat. That is a 39% discount to our $3.36 fair value: the market is pricing it cautiously while the fundamentals argue otherwise.
Another profit measure, before interest, tax and non-cash costs: EBITDA.
The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market; 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
KLC 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
2026-11-02Markup · changed$2.03+10.3%Entry 9
The framework has shifted from distribution to markup since the last review. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 10.3% 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. Technically it is momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 63%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (7 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $4.
2026-10-26Distribution$1.84-19.7%Entry 8
The analysis reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 19.7% 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 D. Technically it is momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 63%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (7 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $4.
2026-10-11Distribution · changed$2.29+0.0%Entry 7
The framework has shifted from markdown to distribution since the last review. 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: 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 D. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 63%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (7 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $4.
2026-10-02Markdown · changed$2.29-42.0%Entry 6
The framework has shifted from distribution to markdown since the last review. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 42.0% 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 D. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 63%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (7 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $4. Since the last review it entered the Titan Ethical 500; its composite score rose.
2026-09-03Distribution · changed$3.95+0.0%Entry 5
The framework has shifted from markup to distribution since the last review. 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: 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 D. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 63%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (7 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $4.
2026-08-03Markup$3.95+0.0%Entry 4
Our analysis 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 D. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 63%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (7 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $4.
2026-07-18Markup$3.95+0.0%Entry 3
Our analysis 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 D. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are down 63%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (7 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $4.
2026-07-03Markup$3.95+0.0%Entry 2
Our analysis 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.
2026-07-02Markup$3.95Entry 1
Our analysis 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.