The company's exceptional free cash flow conversion and historical earnings beat record are offset by a confirmed price downtrend — the stock is below a falling 200-day moving average — and an earnings report due today that introduces immediate binary risk into any position.
Thesis pillars
- Confirmed Technical Downtrend→Stable
- Recent Earnings Miss After Beat Streak→Stable
- Exceptional Free Cash Flow Conversion→Stable
- +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning
ICON plc (ICLR) Stock Analysis
Recovery setup · Catalyst-Driven edge
Healthcare · Diagnostics & Research
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $170.96: Quality below floor (3.8 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.5/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 12.95; Below-average business quality.
ICON Public Limited Company, a clinical research organization, provides outsourced development and commercialization services in Ireland, Europe, the United States, and internationally. The company specializes in the strategic development, management, and analysis of programs... Read more
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $170.96: Quality below floor (3.8 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.5/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 12.95; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 74. Score 4.5/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 6/8 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, earnings proximity 18d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: moderate.
Recent developments
updated 2026-07-06Recent Developments — ICON plc
Latest news
- NEWS ICLR Stock Holds Support As Traders Watch Next Move - StocksToTrade — StocksToTrade neutral
- NEWS ICLR Stock Climbs As Support Holds And Value Case Builds - timothysykes.com — timothysykes.com positive
- NEWS ICON Public Limited (ICLR) Shares Surge 13% Following Investigat - GuruFocus — GuruFocus positive
- NEWS ICLR Stock Holds Support As Traders Watch Next Break - StocksToTrade — StocksToTrade neutral
- NEWS ICON (ICLR) Completes Audit Investigation and Plans Financial Re - GuruFocus — GuruFocus negative
Generated 2026-07-06T17:42:15Z.
Upcoming dated catalysts
Thesis
Key Metrics
Quality Signals
Options Flow
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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Rating Breakdown
3 floor-breakers
Growth below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static
Quality below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $170.96: Quality below floor (3.8 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.5/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 12.95; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 74. Prior stop was $159.01. Score 4.5/10, moderate confidence.
Take-profit target: $178.17 (+4.2% upside). Prior stop was $159.01. Stop-loss: $159.01.
Target reached (-6.1% upside); Quality below floor (3.8 < 4.0); Value-trap signals (2/5): Revenue declining (-12.3% YoY), Material insider selling (3 sells, 0.02% of cap).
ICON plc trades at a P/E of 76.2 (forward 14.6). TrendMatrix value score: 6.3/10. Verdict: Sell.
24 analysts cover ICLR with a consensus score of 3.8/5. Average price target: $178.
What does ICON plc do?ICON Public Limited Company, a clinical research organization, provides outsourced development and commercialization...
ICON Public Limited Company, a clinical research organization, provides outsourced development and commercialization services in Ireland, Europe, the United States, and internationally. The company specializes in the strategic development, management, and analysis of programs that support various stages of the clinical development process from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies. It also provides clinical development services, including all phases of development, peri and post approval, data solutions, and site and patient access services; clinical trial management, consulting, contract staffing, data solutions, and laboratory services; and commercial services comprising clinical development strategy, planning and trial design, full study execution, and post-market commercialization. In addition, the company offers testing services comprising bioanalytical, biomarker, vaccine, good manufacturing practice, and central laboratory services, as well as full-service and functional service partnerships to customers. Further, the company provides adaptive trials, cardiac safety solutions, clinical and scientific operations, consulting and advisory, commercial positioning, decentralized and hybrid clinical trials, early clinical, medical imaging, real world intelligence, site and patient, and strategic solutions. Additionally, it provides therapeutics for cardiovascular, central nervous system, endocrine and metabolic disorders, hepatology, infectious diseases, internal medicine immunology, and oncology. It serves pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, as well as government and public health organizations. ICON Public Limited Company was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.