Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-29 · Permanent

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 · Labcorp Holdings Inc.

The label
Markup

read at $314.23

Labcorp holds its Markup at $314.23.

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 · 2026-07-29
PhaseMarkup
Quantitative stateConsolidating, no directional conviction, held for 1 days
Price$314.23
Valuation26.67 trailing · 16.19 forward price to earnings
Values screenFAIL · score 10.0
Beta0.86

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Our framework reads AVOID — it trades at roughly a 8% discount to our $340.00 fair value, narrow competitive moat, 5.80% revenue growth.

Read at
$314.23
26.67 P/E · 16.19 fwd
Our fair value
$340.00
8% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$320.00
+2% to current
Target low $270.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $340.00
▲ current $314.23 · | average target

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

$353$260$168TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONOur fair value$340.00 +27%Analyst high$340.00 +27%Conservative$320.29 +20%Analyst avg$320.00 +19%

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

Current
$314.23
you are here
Conservative
$320.29
+2%
Analyst avg
$320.00
+2%
Our fair value
$340.00
+8%
Analyst high
$340.00
+8%

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 · Our model sees value the Street hasn't fully caught up to yet.

Revenue growth5.80%
Profit margin6.66%
Debt to equity83.41
Analyst consensusBuy · 17 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 35.5% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Fail
  • Interest-bearing cash Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 0.8% of assets, under the one-third limit. Pass
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is 14.3% 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

Routine blood tests mask rising debt risks

Think of Labcorp as the quiet lab behind every GP visit and hospital ward, running the tests that decide treatments. The business delivers steady 6% revenue growth and a 7% profit margin, yet it fails our ethical screen on debt levels.

We pass for that reason alone. A narrow moat, 11% ROE and forward earnings at 14.6 times do not offset the leverage issue, even with a reported 20% gap to our $340 fair value. Analyst chatter around a $320 target changes nothing.

The real concern is whether current margins hold if interest costs climb or volumes soften. Cyclical healthcare spending offers little cushion. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E16.2x
expensive even after accounting for its growth
Trailing P/E26.7x
a premium valuation
Revenue growth5.8%
slow but positive growth
Profit margin6.7%
thin but positive margins
Return on equity11.0%
a modest return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity0.83
moderate, manageable leverage
Current ratio1.73
healthy short-term liquidity
Beta0.86
steadier than the market
Market cap$25.8B
Employees71,000

The risks · The main risks here are ordinary market swings and the chance our fair-value read proves too optimistic.

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

Latest news · what the market is reading on LH

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

Related securities · others in LH'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

LH 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 markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. 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 good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 4%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (17 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $310. Entered 2026-07-18 · Markdown

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-18 Markdown $265.15 +0.0% Entry 3

The framework reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. 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 good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 4%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (17 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $310.

2026-07-03 Markdown $265.15 +0.0% Entry 2

The framework reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. 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 good risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Markdown $265.15 Entry 1

The framework reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good 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 · LH
DateInsiderTitleTypeSharesValue
2026-05-11 SCHECHTER ADAM H Chief Executive Officer 5,903 $1,502,314
2026-03-27 WILKINSON PETER J Officer 1,633 $436,093
2026-03-27 MELTZER JONATHAN C Officer 839 $224,055
2026-03-26 KYLE KATHRYN W Officer 1,584 ·
2026-03-26 VAUGHN BRYAN T Officer 1,584 ·
2026-03-26 VAN DER VAART SANDRA DILLARD Officer 6,382 ·
2026-03-26 CAVENEY BRIAN J Officer 11,290 ·
2026-03-26 SCHROEDER MARK S Chief Operating Officer 12,272 ·
2026-03-26 SUMMY AMY B Officer 3,994 ·
2026-03-26 BAILEY MEGAN D Officer 1,184 ·

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

The political ledger · congressional disclosures

Disclosures naming LH
DatePoliticianPartyTypeAmount
7 Feb2025 Tim Walberg Republican buy 15K–50K
27 May2026 John Boozman Republican buy 1K–15K
15 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 $254.38 +5.3% $0.72 $1,056 +5.6%
2 months $260.21 +3.0% $0.72 $1,032 +3.2%
3 months $262.19 +2.2% $0.72 $1,024 +2.4%
6 months $263.34 +1.7% $1.44 $1,023 +2.3%
1 year $256.66 +4.4% $2.88 $1,055 +5.5%
2 years $191.58 +39.8% $5.76 $1,428 +42.8%
3 years $180.28 +48.6% $8.64 $1,534 +53.4%
5 years $211.08 +26.9% $11.73 $1,325 +32.5%

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

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

Labcorp · LH · Markup · $314.23
Recorded 2026-07-29 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

Get our weekly market brief free.