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IPIIntrepid Potash, IncBuy Wait5.1·$30.99
IPI · Why this verdict

Why Intrepid Potash (IPI) is rated BUY WAIT

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. How we score · Editorial policy

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictBUY WAIT
Overall score5.1/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroRISK_OFF

Thesis pillars

Intrepid is attractively valued with a PEG of 0.06 and converts 141% of net income into free cash flow, a strong cash-generation signal.

→Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
Free cash flow stays above net income and valuation remains attractive as earnings grow.

CounterForward P/E of 22.6x is not cheap on near-term earnings, and low returns on equity and margins weaken the value case.

Intrepid beat estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters, including $0.56 versus a $0.38 estimate in August 2026, for an average surprise of +21.7%.

↓Deteriorating
Earnings
Expectation
The November 3 report meets or beats the consensus estimate.

CounterThe November 2025 miss of 38% and a long history of misses in 2023 to 2025 show results are volatile.

Revenue is declining 2% year over year, with the June 2026 quarter at $66.7M versus $67.5M a year earlier, and the company has no competitive moat.

→Stable
Growth breakdown
Expectation
Quarterly revenue stabilizes and grows above $67.5M year over year.

CounterCommodity producers have little pricing power, and the estimated next quarter revenue of $51.0M points to a sharp seasonal drop.

At $31.23 the stock is 0.7% above the $31.02 analyst target, with 6.8% downside to the stop, leaving no room to the upside on analyst estimates.

→Stable
Targets
Expectation
Analysts raise targets above $31.23 as earnings grow.

CounterWith the price already above target, any earnings disappointment could trigger target cuts and a pullback.

Momentum is weak at 2.5/10 with falling on-balance volume, though the 200-day average is still rising, and the put/call ratio is elevated at 2.21.

↑Improving
Momentum breakdown
Expectation
On-balance volume stops falling and price reclaims the 200-day moving average.

CounterAn elevated put/call ratio and distribution volume suggest investors are positioning for further declines.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

7.8/10data confidence 83%
ComponentSub-score
P/E3.9
P/S9.1
EV/EBITDA9.6
Fwd P/E6.1
PEG10.0
  • ▸Forward P/E: 21.3x
  • ▸PEG: 0.06
  • ▸Attractively valued

Quality

4.4/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE1.0
ROA1.4
Gross margin1.6
Op margin1.0
Net margin5.4
Current ratio6.7
FCF quality9.7
Moat4.6
Piotroski F7.8
  • ▸Excellent cash conversion: 141% FCF/NI
  • ▸No competitive moat
  • ▸Strong Piotroski F-Score: 7/9

Growth

2.1/10data confidence 33%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth2.1
  • ▸Declining revenue: -2%

Momentum

3.4/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI3.5
MACD8.5
OBV1.0
MA position2.2
Volume1.8
  • ▸Volume distribution (falling OBV)
  • ▸Below 200-MA but MA still rising (+1.9%/30d) — pullback in uptrend, not confirmed weakness

Sentiment

5.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating5.0
Price target7.4
erm sentiment5.0

Insider

7.3/10data confidence 75%
ComponentSub-score
materiality5.0
holder change10.0
notable moves7.0
  • ▸No net insider activity — $0 (0.000% of mkt cap)
  • ▸Institutions accumulating

Peer rank

4.0/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank1.1
quality rank4.0
growth rank2.2
  • ▸Conservative debt levels

Technical

6.2/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger8.1
support resistance8.3
52w position2.3

Risk (lower is worse)

5.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest8.5
days to cover8.8
volatility4.0
put call2.2
implied vol1.4
beta5.8
debt equity10.0
  • ▸Elevated put/call: 1.67
  • ▸High IV: 71%

Catalyst

6.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history6.7
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg10.0
  • ▸Strong earnings: 3B/1M
  • ▸Earnings in 1 day

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Earnings in 1 day. Wait until post-earnings.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L3:NEWS_BLOCK
Passed (5)
  • INSIDER:OK
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (3)
  • MOMENTUM:3.4<4.5
  • ASYMMETRY:0.0<1.5@spot
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:1d<=7d
Warning (0)

none

Reward-to-Risk
0.02
Upside
+0.1%
Downside
6.8%
Sizing output
STARTER

Setup— — No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed

EdgeSector Rotation — Basic Materials sector out of favor, value=7.8

SuitabilityAggressive — Beta 1.31>1.3, MCap $0.4B<$5B

Investment implication

A recent news event triggered an L3 news-block on the verdict path. Trigger: Earnings in 1 day. Wait until post-earnings. The 10-dimension scores remain Value at 7.8 (strongest), but MOMENTUM:3.4<4.5 also fails — the news block is the proximate trigger, not the sole driver.

The strongest dimensions are Value at 7.8, Insider at 7.3, and Catalyst at 6.7; the weakest are Growth at 2.1, Momentum at 3.4, and Peer rank at 4.0. The V9 engine flagged 3 failed gates, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 0.02 and an engine sizing output of STARTER.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Cheap Valuation Strong Cash

    Trip ifFree cash flow falls below 80% of net income from the current 141%.

  • P2Earnings Beat Streak

    Trip ifEPS surprise stays below 0% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P3Declining Revenue No Moat

    Trip ifQuarterly revenue falls below $55M year over year in the June quarter.

  • P4Price Above Analyst Target

    Trip ifStock price falls below the $29.45 stop level from the current $31.23.

  • P5Weak Momentum Bearish Options

    Trip ifPut/call ratio rises above 3.0 from the current 2.21.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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