Positioning no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
Options put/call open interest 0.25, read 2026-10-24
Ethical does not pass the values gate
Price11.90 USD
Fair value16.25
Ethical score70.0/100
Our investment reviews on this name
2026-10-18Read Markup10.47+13.7% to today ✓Distribution gives way to Markup first Markup read since August
2026-10-11Read Distribution10.79+10.3% to today Markdown gives way to Distribution after a 24% slide in 5 weeks
2026-09-04Read Markdown14.12-15.7% to today ✓Markup gives way to Markdown
2026-08-05Read Markup14.12-15.7% to today Distribution gives way to Markup after a 49% rise in 5 weeks
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.
MediaAlpha Inc holds its Markup at $11.90. Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 10 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-10-23
Phase
Markup
Quantitative state
Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 10 days
Price at the screen
$11.90
Valuation
16.86 trailing · 6.96 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 70.0
Beta
1.09
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
39.97%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is 40.0% 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
44.26%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 44.3% of assets, under the 49% limit.
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
MediaAlpha's business is in a permissible area, but its interest-bearing debt is about 40% of the company, well over the ~33% line, so it does not pass on the financial screens.
Read as at 2026-10-27. It updates when the underlying figures move, and past reads are kept below.
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Today MAX does not pass the screen. If new figures move it to a pass, we send you one short email with the before and after. Verdicts change rarely, so you may not hear from us for a long time.
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Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-10-23 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. A 55.2% margin of safety to the base estimate.
Third-party analyst targets: 6 covering, consensus Buy. The average target sits +9% 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 2026-10-23 screen.
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; the Street's range reflects third-party analyst estimates. 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
MAX 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
2026-10-28Markup$10.47+0.0%Entry 16
The 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B. Technically it is holding around 7% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are down 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-27Markup$10.47+0.0%Entry 15
The 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B. Technically it is holding around 7% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are down 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-26Markup$10.47+0.0%Entry 14
The 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B. Technically it is holding around 7% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are down 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-25Markup$10.47+0.0%Entry 13
The 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C. Technically it is holding around 7% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are down 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-24Markup$10.47+0.0%Entry 12
The 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C. Technically it is holding around 7% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are down 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-23Markup$10.47+0.0%Entry 11
The 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C. Technically it is holding around 7% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are down 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-22Markup$10.47+0.0%Entry 10
The 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C. Technically it is holding around 7% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are down 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-21Markup$10.47+0.0%Entry 9
The 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C. Technically it is holding around 7% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are down 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-18Markup · changed$10.47-3.0%Entry 8
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 down 3.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive 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 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter.
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 12%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 23%. The street (7 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $14. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.