SMA · the NYSE · USD · Market cap $1.8B · 1,000 employees
SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc.
FAIL · Does not pass the screen
33.39 USD
At the last full screen 2026-08-27
Screened 2026-08-27 · the tape above runs as of 22:12 UTC · 11 Sep · two dates, stated on purpose · verdict and workings shown in full · never trimmed
The Label · The Season, Not the Day
This name holds its markdown label.
SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. holds its Markdown at $33.39. Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 2 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-08-27
Phase
Markdown · caution
Quantitative state
Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 2 days
Price at the screen
$33.39
Valuation
55.65 trailing · 55.22 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 70.0
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
45.16%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is 45.2% 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
2.23%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 2.2% of assets, under the 49% limit.
Pass
Revenue purity
1.55%
Below 5%
Only 1.6% 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.
Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-08-27 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. The price runs 30.1% above the base estimate.
Third-party analyst targets: 11 covering, consensus Buy. The average target sits +11% from the screen price.
Reading the gap · Our more conservative model reads it as fully-to-richly valued here, while the Street is more bullish: a quality-at-a-fair-price name rather than a deep-value one.
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 2026-08-27 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
Storage units look busy but command too much
Picture families in every suburb paying to keep old furniture and boxes out of sight. That steady demand has lifted SmartStop's revenue 13 percent, yet the business still clears just 5 percent profit margins and delivers only 2 percent return on equity. At 63.5 times forward earnings the shares trade well above our fair value of 22.32 dollars while the current price sits at 34.29 dollars, giving a negative margin of safety.
We pass because nothing in the numbers suggests the market is mispricing a durable advantage. Revenue growth is respectable for a REIT, but thin margins and low returns on capital leave little room for error once interest rates or local supply shift. The ethical screen is cleared, yet that alone does not turn an expensive valuation into an attractive one.
Eleven analysts still carry a buy rating and a 36 dollar median target. That optimism sits on top of already stretched multiples, which is the classic warning sign that sentiment has run ahead of the cash the assets can actually produce. 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
SMA 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
2026-08-13Markup · changed$33.71+4.6%Entry 4
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 4.6% 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, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 7%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 14%. The street (10 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $36.
2026-07-18Distribution$32.24+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. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive 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 bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 7%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 14%. The street (10 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $36.
2026-07-03Distribution$32.24+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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Distribution$32.24Entry 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 modest positive risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.