Value
5.2/10data confidence 83%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| P/E | 4.9 |
| P/S | 6.5 |
| Fwd P/E | 5.2 |
| PEG | 5.3 |
| Analyst target | 4.0 |
- ▸Forward P/E: 24.4x
- ▸PEG: 1.43
ESTC · Why this verdict
Why Elastic (ESTC) is rated SELL
Updated
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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VerdictSELL
Overall score5.5/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroRISK_OFF
TrendMatrix Research · core thesis
Engine thesis — one sentence
Elastic has built a wide economic moat with compounding quality metrics — 33% return on equity, 126% free-cash-flow conversion, and a strong earnings beat streak — but a confirmed price downtrend and a death cross currently block a favorable entry, making this a franchise to monitor rather than buy at current levels.
Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.
Thesis pillars
| Pillar | Expectation | Trend |
|---|---|---|
The business has established a wide economic moat supported by 33% return on equity, 21% net margins, and free cash flow that exceeds reported net income by 26% — a combination consistent with a franchise that compounds returns durably across cycles. Quality breakdown | Return on equity stays above 25% and free-cash-flow conversion remains above 100% of net income for at least 3 of the next 4 quarters. | →Stable |
| CounterA return on equity above typical levels can be inflated by a reduced equity base from share buybacks rather than genuine operating superiority; lead with return on assets, which is near zero, as the more reliable quality signal. | ||
Three of the four most recently reported quarters beat consensus estimates, with the most recent two quarters delivering positive surprises of roughly 8% and 180% respectively — a pattern suggesting consistent execution discipline. Catalyst breakdown | Earnings beats continue for at least 2 more consecutive quarters, each exceeding consensus by at least 5%. | ↓Deteriorating |
| CounterThe streak includes one large miss of roughly -276% in the third-most-recent quarter, demonstrating that guidance precision is uneven; the current beat run may not be durable if operating leverage is still unstable. | ||
The 200-day moving average slope has declined at roughly 5% per month, price remains below that average, and a death cross has triggered a hard technical block — a configuration that historically weighs on near-term returns regardless of underlying business quality. Engine gate (failed) | The downtrend is falsified when the momentum score rises above 5.5 and the 200-day moving average slope turns flat or positive for 2 consecutive months. | →Stable |
| CounterVolume accumulation (rising on-balance volume) while price trends down is a classic accumulation pattern; if institutions are building positions quietly, the technical picture can reverse sharply and rapidly. | ||
The put-to-call ratio stands at approximately 2.6-to-1 and implied volatility is near 109%, signaling that options market participants are paying a significant premium to hedge downside — a level of protective positioning that reflects meaningful near-term uncertainty. Risk breakdown | The put-to-call ratio falls below 1.0 for at least 4 consecutive weeks, signaling that hedging pressure has dissipated and the market's risk assessment has shifted. | ↓Deteriorating |
| CounterElevated put positioning on a technically broken stock can represent institutional protective hedging on existing long positions rather than outright bearishness; if the stock stabilizes, this hedging demand unwinds and becomes a tailwind. | ||
The business has established a wide economic moat supported by 33% return on equity, 21% net margins, and free cash flow that exceeds reported net income by 26% — a combination consistent with a franchise that compounds returns durably across cycles.
→StableQuality breakdown
- Expectation
- Return on equity stays above 25% and free-cash-flow conversion remains above 100% of net income for at least 3 of the next 4 quarters.
CounterA return on equity above typical levels can be inflated by a reduced equity base from share buybacks rather than genuine operating superiority; lead with return on assets, which is near zero, as the more reliable quality signal.
Three of the four most recently reported quarters beat consensus estimates, with the most recent two quarters delivering positive surprises of roughly 8% and 180% respectively — a pattern suggesting consistent execution discipline.
↓DeterioratingCatalyst breakdown
- Expectation
- Earnings beats continue for at least 2 more consecutive quarters, each exceeding consensus by at least 5%.
CounterThe streak includes one large miss of roughly -276% in the third-most-recent quarter, demonstrating that guidance precision is uneven; the current beat run may not be durable if operating leverage is still unstable.
The 200-day moving average slope has declined at roughly 5% per month, price remains below that average, and a death cross has triggered a hard technical block — a configuration that historically weighs on near-term returns regardless of underlying business quality.
→StableEngine gate (failed)
- Expectation
- The downtrend is falsified when the momentum score rises above 5.5 and the 200-day moving average slope turns flat or positive for 2 consecutive months.
CounterVolume accumulation (rising on-balance volume) while price trends down is a classic accumulation pattern; if institutions are building positions quietly, the technical picture can reverse sharply and rapidly.
The put-to-call ratio stands at approximately 2.6-to-1 and implied volatility is near 109%, signaling that options market participants are paying a significant premium to hedge downside — a level of protective positioning that reflects meaningful near-term uncertainty.
↓DeterioratingRisk breakdown
- Expectation
- The put-to-call ratio falls below 1.0 for at least 4 consecutive weeks, signaling that hedging pressure has dissipated and the market's risk assessment has shifted.
CounterElevated put positioning on a technically broken stock can represent institutional protective hedging on existing long positions rather than outright bearishness; if the stock stabilizes, this hedging demand unwinds and becomes a tailwind.
Per-dimension breakdown
Quality
6.9/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| ROE | 10.0 |
| ROA | 0.0 |
| Gross margin | 10.0 |
| Op margin | 0.0 |
| Net margin | 10.0 |
| Current ratio | 6.4 |
| FCF quality | 9.5 |
| Moat | 8.2 |
| Rule of 40 | 7.4 |
| Piotroski F | 7.8 |
- ▸Excellent ROE: 33%
- ▸Strong margins: 21%
- ▸Excellent cash conversion: 134% FCF/NI
- ▸Wide economic moat
Growth
4.7/10data confidence 67%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| Rev growth | 6.3 |
| EPS growth | 3.0 |
Momentum
5.8/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| RSI | 5.5 |
| MACD | 10.0 |
| OBV | 1.0 |
| MA position | 8.0 |
| Volume | 4.7 |
- ▸Volume distribution (falling OBV)
- ▸Above 200-MA but MA slope flat
Sentiment
6.6/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| LLM sentiment | 5.6 |
| Analyst rating | 7.5 |
| Price target | 6.4 |
Insider
3.7/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| materiality | 4.5 |
| insider conviction | 2.0 |
| holder change | 5.4 |
| notable moves | 3.0 |
- ▸Modest insider selling — $6,673,100 (0.066% of mkt cap)
Peer rank
5.4/10data confidence 80%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| value rank | 4.3 |
| quality rank | 8.1 |
| growth rank | 5.3 |
- ▸Superior ROE vs peers
Technical
4.3/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| bollinger | 1.2 |
| support resistance | 3.2 |
| 52w position | 7.8 |
| gap | 5.0 |
Risk (lower is worse)
4.8/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| short interest | 6.6 |
| days to cover | 7.5 |
| volatility | 0.0 |
| put call | 0.0 |
| implied vol | 3.6 |
| max pain risk | 7.0 |
| beta | 7.2 |
| debt equity | 8.2 |
| news risk | 3.0 |
- ▸Elevated put/call: 2.00
Catalyst
7.4/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| erm | 5.0 |
| earnings history | 10.0 |
| earnings timing | 5.0 |
| surprise avg | 9.0 |
| news activity | 8.0 |
- ▸Perfect beat streak: 4Q
How the verdict was assembled
Engine trigger
Critical news event: bankruptcy..
Engine technical detail
verdict_path:
L3:NEWS_BLOCKPassed (7)
- MOMENTUM:5.8>=5.5
- INSIDER:OK
- 8K:CLEAN
- NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
- EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:76d clear
- SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
- MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
- ASYMMETRY:-0.1=NEGATIVE
Warning (0)
none
Reward-to-Risk
-0.08
Upside
-1.2%
Downside
15.0%
Sizing output
AVOID
SetupBreakout — Golden cross, above all MAs, RSI 59, MACD bullish
EdgeNo clear edge — No clear edge identified
SuitabilityModerate — Balanced profile
Investment implication
A recent news event triggered an L3 news-block on the verdict path. Trigger: Critical news event: bankruptcy.. The 10-dimension scores remain Catalyst at 7.4 (strongest), but ASYMMETRY:-0.1=NEGATIVE also fails — the news block is the proximate trigger, not the sole driver.
The strongest dimensions are Catalyst at 7.4, Quality at 6.9, and Sentiment at 6.6; the weakest are Insider at 3.7, Technical at 4.3, and Growth at 4.7. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of -0.08 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.
What would invalidate the thesis
Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.
- P1Wide Moat Compounding Quality
Trip ifReturn on equity falls below 20% for 2 consecutive quarters.
- P2Earnings Beat Streak Execution
Trip ifEPS surprise falls below 0% for 2 consecutive quarters.
- P3Death Cross Confirmed Downtrend
Trip ifMomentum score rises above 5.5 and the 200-day moving average slope turns positive for 2 consecutive months.
- P4Elevated Options Bearishness
Trip ifPut-to-call ratio falls below 1.0 for 4 consecutive weeks.