Ladder Capital Corp (LADR): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score

Is LADR undervalued?

At 8.82 (close of 16 Oct 2026), LADR trades 25% under the GLS average fair value of 11.73. 5 of the 9 models that produced a value land above the price. A discount of this size counts as a positive margin of safety in every GLS screen; whether it is enough depends on the rest of the picture - the health score, the moat and the option premium below.

There is a wide gap between GLS Growth (1.23) and DCF (33.31). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.

The nightly engine files LADR under High Yield Income: a dividend yield above 4%.

Nine valuation models for LADR

Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.

Quality and financial health

Ladder Capital Corp scores 6 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score: a middling result that passes the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. Some of the nine tests on profitability, leverage and efficiency are failed, so the accounts are worth a look before selling a put on the name. A GLS Moat score of 2.2/10 is a weak reading: the ten-year history the score grades (revenue, EPS, book value, margins, cash flow, share count, ROIC) has not been steady, so the Moat part of the Wheel Score contributes little.

Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 1.3%, ROE 4.3%, ROA 1.2% - with debt at 2.37 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 9.2%. Debt of 2.37 times equity is on the high side for the sector and is worth checking against the cash flow before treating the stock as a long-term hold.

The dividend yield is high at 10.43% (payout ratio 224%) - a payout above 100% of earnings, which is not covered by profits. A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual. Revenue comes mainly from Real Estate 100% (quarter Q4 FY2018).

Institutional ownership scores 8/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.

Wheel Score 76: Good

With a Wheel Score of 76 - the Good band - Ladder Capital Corp clears the Sunday Scan's "70 or higher" rule. The parts: Value 23/25, Health 13/20, Moat 3/15, Premium 20/20, Stability 16/20; Moat (3/15) scores lowest.

Implied volatility is 36% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is 2,841 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.

Volume runs at 3.0M shares a day on a market cap of $1.1B, with a beta of 1.03; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 16 of 20.

The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.

Upcoming events

Ladder Capital Corp reports earnings on 16 Oct 2026 (before the open) - inside the 14-day window the Sunday Scan avoids, because a put sold now would carry the report's gap risk.

Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.

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