Stock fact sheet · data as of
Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. (LIEN): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Financial Services · Asset Management · United States · Speculative / Distressed
Is LIEN undervalued?
LIEN has a margin of safety of 92%: the stock closed at 9.15 on 16 Oct 2026 against a GLS average fair value of 107.97. 9 of the 9 valuation models that produced a number sit above the price. Our screens treat a discount this large as a strong starting point for a cash-secured put, not as a verdict - the fair value is a model output, and a wide gap can mean the models are missing something the market knows.
The 9 models disagree widely: Lynch gives 9.82 while Graham Number gives 643.43. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files LIEN under Speculative / Distressed - negative earnings or a Piotroski score of 3 or less - which caps its Wheel Score at 45 and keeps it out of the Sunday Scan.
Nine valuation models for LIEN
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.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 122.22 | +1236% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 643.43 | +6932% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 30.75 | +236% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 9.82 | +7% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 84.99 | +829% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 15.13 | +65% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 29.96 | +227% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 20.01 | +119% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 15.42 | +69% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -1.56 | -117% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is weak: LIEN passes 3 of the nine Piotroski tests. Our screens drop the stock at the health rule; a low score is often the reason a stock looks cheap on the valuation models. The GLS Moat score is 5.0 out of 10: a ten-year record that is consistent in some of the metrics the score tracks (revenue, earnings, margins, cash flow, returns on capital) and patchy in others.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 10.1%, ROE 11.0%, ROA 9.7% - with debt at 0.08 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 8.3%.
The dividend yield is high at 14.86% (payout ratio 98%). 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.
Institutional ownership scores 5/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 3 / 9 | ROIC | 10.1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 5.0 / 10 | ROE | 11.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.08 | ROA | 9.7% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 8.3% | Payout ratio | 98% |
| Institutions | 5 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 39: No options
LIEN has no listed options in the nightly snapshot, so there is nothing to sell and the stock cannot be wheeled however good the business; the Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options" (39 here). The valuation and quality numbers still apply to owning the shares outright.
Volume runs at 111k shares a day on a market cap of $209M, with a beta of 0.30 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 6 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 25 / 25 | 92% margin of safety | |
| Health | 7 / 20 | Piotroski 3/9 | |
| Moat | 8 / 15 | moat 5.0/10 | |
| Premium | 0 / 20 | no option data | |
| Stability | 6 / 20 | 111k shares/day, $209M cap, beta 0.30 |
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
The next earnings report is due on 12 Nov 2026, 27 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Asset Management
The 12 companies below are the closest to Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. by market cap within the Asset Management industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EIC Eagle Point Income Company Inc. | 8.97 | 38.11 | +76% | 39No options | $210M |
| ACTIX Advisors Capital Tactical Fixed Income Fund | 9.31 | 4.33 | -115% | 20No options | $211M |
| EICA Eagle Point Income Company Inc. | 24.94 | 38.11 | +35% | 39No options | $206M |
| IIF Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund, Inc. | 21.82 | 29.21 | +25% | 39No options | $206M |
| TRTFX T. Rowe Price Target Retirement 2060 Fund | 20.33 | 125.00 | +84% | 39No options | $212M |
| PNNT PennantPark Investment Corporation | 3.15 | 15.53 | +80% | 74Good | $206M |
| MFM Aberdeen Municipal Income Fund | 4.98 | 8.66 | +42% | 39No options | $205M |
| SRV NXG Cushing Midstream Energy Fund | 43.85 | 124.29 | +65% | 39No options | $205M |
| PVCMX Palm Valley Capital Fund Investor Class | 12.67 | 28.82 | +56% | 39No options | $215M |
| PSF Cohen & Steers Select Preferred and Income Fund, Inc. | 17.86 | 51.59 | +65% | 39No options | $215M |
| GMSAX Goldman Sachs Managed Futures Strategy Fund | 10.14 | 26.60 | +62% | 39No options | $203M |
| FIFNX Fidelity Founders Fund | 27.65 | 4.92 | -462% | 20No options | $202M |
⚖ Compare LIEN with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about LIEN
Is LIEN undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 9.15 the stock is 92% below the average fair value of 107.97 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of LIEN and what does it mean?
LIEN has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; its Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for LIEN?
107.97 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 12 Nov 2026, 27 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does LIEN have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on LIEN, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score is capped at 39.