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JMKEJersey Mike's Subs Inc.Sell5.9·$21.23
JMKE · Why this verdict

Why Jersey Mike's Subs (JMKE) 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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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictSELL
Overall score5.9/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroRISK_OFF
TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

JMKE combines strong balance-sheet quality with a growth-adjusted cheap valuation, but momentum and asymmetry gates have both failed, options positioning shows an elevated put/call skew, and insiders have been net sellers on balance.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Thesis pillars

Business quality is strong, with a perfect Piotroski F-Score of 9 out of 9 and a solid current ratio of 5.5.

Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
The quality score should hold at or above 6.0 with the Piotroski F-Score remaining strong over the next 12 months.

CounterOperating and net margins remain thin (3.7 and 1.4 in component terms), so the quality strength is more balance-sheet-driven than profitability-driven.

The value notes cite a low PEG of 0.04 despite a 30.7x forward P/E, framing the stock as inexpensive relative to its growth.

Improving
Valuation breakdown
Expectation
The PEG ratio should stay low and the value score (currently 6.2) should hold or improve over the next 12 months.

CounterRevenue growth is modest at a 5.2 growth-dimension score, so the growth side of the PEG calculation may not be as durable as the ratio implies.

Both the momentum gate (2.8 vs. a 4.5 threshold) and the asymmetry gate (1.32 vs. a 1.5 threshold) failed, with the setup described as range-bound and falling on-balance volume.

Stable
Engine gate (failed)
Expectation
Momentum should recover above 4.5 and the asymmetry ratio should clear 1.5 over the next 12 months.

CounterStrong technical scores (bollinger 5.9, support/resistance 6.4, 52-week position 8.0) suggest the broader technical picture is not as weak as the failed gates alone imply.

The risk notes flag an elevated put/call ratio of 1.67, indicating options positioning skewed toward downside protection or bearish bets.

Improving
Risk breakdown
Expectation
The put/call ratio should normalize back toward parity over the next few months if the bearish options positioning was a temporary hedge.

CounterA low implied-volatility risk component (4.4) suggests the market is not pricing significant near-term turmoil despite the elevated put/call skew.

Insiders have been net sellers on balance (10 buys vs. 10 sells but a large net negative share count) with the engine flagging insider selling severity as moderate, producing a bearish insider signal.

Stable
Insider transaction read
Expectation
The insider signal should shift back toward neutral without further material net selling over the next 12 months.

CounterThe insider notes also flag institutions accumulating, suggesting the individual insider selling may not reflect broader ownership trends.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

6.7/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
P/S5.8
Fwd P/E4.2
PEG10.0
Analyst target7.5
  • Forward P/E: 28.8x
  • PEG: 0.03

Quality

6.2/10data confidence 86%
ComponentSub-score
Gross margin9.3
Op margin3.7
Net margin1.4
Current ratio5.5
Moat7.2
Piotroski F10.0
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 9/9

Growth

5.2/10data confidence 33%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth5.2

Momentum

4.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI4.5
MACD1.1
OBV10.0
MA position3.5
Volume0.8
  • Volume accumulation (rising OBV)

Sentiment

8.0/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating7.5
Price target8.7
  • Analyst upside: 31%

Insider

6.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
materiality2.0
insider conviction5.0
holder change10.0
notable moves7.0
  • Heavy insider selling — $1,513,802,314 (31.288% of mkt cap)
  • Institutions accumulating

Peer rank

4.8/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank0.3
quality rank3.6
growth rank6.4
  • Conservative debt levels

Technical

6.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger6.9
support resistance7.0
52w position7.0
gap5.0

Risk (lower is worse)

5.9/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
days to cover10.0
volatility0.0
put call10.0
implied vol0.0
max pain risk7.0
debt equity8.6
  • High IV: 84%

Catalyst

5.0/10data confidence 50%

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_SELL
Passed (6)
  • ASYMMETRY:1.8>=1.5
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:NO_DATE
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (2)
  • MOMENTUM:4.0<4.5
  • INSIDER:31.29%=EXTREME
Warning (0)

none

Reward-to-Risk
1.78
Upside
+17.9%
Downside
10.1%
Sizing output
AVOID

SetupRange Bound RSI 47 mid-range, Bollinger mid-band

EdgeNo clear edge No clear edge identified

SuitabilityAggressive MCap $4.8B<$5B

Investment implication

The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 4.4 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Sentiment at 8.0) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Co-occurring failed gates ( MOMENTUM:4.0<4.5, INSIDER:31.29%=EXTREME) reinforce the read. Current asymmetry R:R is 1.78 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.

The strongest dimensions are Sentiment at 8.0, Value at 6.7, and Technical at 6.5; the weakest are Momentum at 4.0, Peer rank at 4.8, and Catalyst at 5.0. The V9 engine flagged 2 failed gates, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 1.78 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

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

  • P1Strong Quality Perfect Piotroski

    Trip ifQuality score falls below 4.0 from the current 6.2.

  • P2Cheap Growth Adjusted Valuation

    Trip ifPEG ratio rises above 1.0, up from the current 0.04.

  • P3Momentum Asymmetry Gates Failed

    Trip ifMomentum score exceeds 4.5, clearing the engine's gate threshold, from the current 2.8.

  • P4Elevated Put Call Hedging Risk

    Trip ifPut/call ratio falls below 1.0, reversing the current elevated 1.67 reading.

  • P5Insider Selling Moderate Severity

    Trip ifNet insider share sales exceed 100 million shares within a 90-day window, deepening the current net-selling trend.

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

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