Provides an integrated platform of brokerage services. Offers investment advisory services to independent financial advisors. Now — the numbers.
The biggest line carries real weight, but it doesn’t decide everything on its own.
This is an established company with proven profits.
Average growth of 22% a year over the last 4 years. Every year shown ended in profit.
The market pays 32.8× for every dollar this company earns in a year — a price that already assumes things go well.
Against companies in its own sector, it looks cheaper than 10% of them.
Analysts' average target sits 14% above today's price.
The stock trades below its recent peak — about 11% off the top. A pullback, not a collapse.
Over the last 4 years, sales grew about 22% a year on average.
It met or beat analyst expectations in 8 of the last 8 quarters — consistency is a promise kept.
It pays out $1.20 per share each year — regular cash for whoever holds the stock.
The company’s market value is 33 times its annual profit. Even a small disappointment could hit the price hard.
Today’s price already includes part of tomorrow’s optimism. Report-card grade: 10/100.
The balance sheet offers little cushion against a rough stretch. Report-card grade: 36/100.
On our five-subject report card, LPLA sits behind the class. A low grade doesn’t mean “doomed” — it means “big claim, small proof.”
The takeaway: LPLA does earn real profits — but on our report card it still sits behind its class. The real debate isn’t the quality of the business — it’s whether the price paid for the stock is too high.
The total grade weighs these five subjects against the sector — it isn’t a simple average of the five.