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What this page is: Delvantic's full research page for Universal Display Corporation (OLED) — AI-driven forensic equity research: mechanical valuation models (DCF, EPV, anchored-PE, scenario) plus three independent AI lenses (Quality / Value / Sentiment). Everything below is rendered server-side; you are not missing content that requires JavaScript. All scores are predictions and research opinions, not financial advice.
Our current read (analysis of 2026-08-23): Designation Watch · Gem Score -3 (−100…+100 Quality+Value blend) · Quality 59 · Value -54 · Sentiment -48 (timing only, not weighted)
Page map (sections in order; each card carries a stable
reference-name attribute you can cite):
profile-header/price-overview— company profile, live quote, market capextended-analysis— the core: three AI lens reads with findings, scores, and the analyst memofuture-predictions— our forward price-band predictionsmarket-narrative/ai-findings/gpt-critique— narrative context, cross-model findings, and an adversarial critique of our own analysis (near the end of the document)- Members-only sections (render as login gates for anonymous readers):
price-history,income-trend,key-metrics,financials(statement tables),insider-trading. The analysis above is public; the raw data tables require a free account.
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any ticker resolves at delvantic.com/stock/TICKER ·
raw inputs are public-company filings and market data (via licensed data feeds);
every model, score, lens read, and prediction on this page is Delvantic's own analysis.
Universal Display Corporation
OLED NASDAQUniversal Display Corporation is a technology company specializing in organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, technologies and materials for the global display and lighting industries. The company focuses on inventing, developing, and commercializing proprietary OLED technologies, including its phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) materials, which are designed to enable energy-efficient, high-performance displays. Universal Display Corporation generates revenue primarily through the development and supply of advanced OLED materials and the licensing of its intellectual property portfolio to leading panel manufacturers worldwide. Its technologies are used across a broad range of applications such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, monitors, televisions, wearables, automotive displays, AR/VR devices, gaming displays, and solid-state lighting. Headquartered in Ewing, New Jersey, and founded in 1994, the company operates internationally with offices in major display manufacturing regions, supporting a central role in the OLED supply chain and contributing key enabling materials and know-how to many of the world’s commercial OLED products.
Price Overview
Price History (1 Year)
Revenue & Net Income Trend
| Period | Revenue | Net Income | Net Margin | YoY/QoQ |
|---|
Key Metrics
EPS (Diluted): 5.08
Total Equity: $1.76B
Shares: 47,658,295
Total Debt: $0.00
Cash: $138.35M
EBITDA: $276.97M
Total Debt: $0.00
Cash: $138.35M
Revenue: $650.61M
Revenue: $650.61M
Revenue: $650.61M
Total Equity: $1.76B
Tax Rate: 17.9%
Equity: $1.76B
Total Debt: $0.00
Cash: $138.35M
Current Liabilities: $108.01M
Long-Term Debt: $0.00
Total Debt: $0.00
Total Equity: $1.76B
Shares: 47,658,295
Shares: 47,658,295
CapEx: -$56.47M
Shares: 47,658,295
Stock Price: $80.69
Net Income: $242.08M
Industry Benchmarks
Income Statement (Annual)
Last updated: Aug 3, 2026 12:26pm (20d ago)| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $553.5M | $616.6M | $576.4M | $647.7M | $650.6M |
| Cost of Revenue | $115.0M | $127.9M | $135.4M | $148.5M | $154.1M |
| Gross Profit | $438.5M | $488.7M | $441.1M | $499.2M | $496.5M |
| Operating Expenses | $210.9M | $221.6M | $223.9M | $260.4M | $247.9M |
| Operating Income | $227.6M | $267.1M | $217.2M | $238.8M | $248.6M |
| Net Income | $184.2M | $210.1M | $203.0M | $222.1M | $242.1M |
| EBITDA | $247.6M | $291.9M | $244.6M | $264.7M | $277.0M |
| EPS | $3.87 | $4.41 | $4.25 | $4.66 | $5.09 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $3.87 | $4.40 | $4.24 | $4.65 | $5.08 |
Balance Sheet (Annual)
Last updated: Aug 3, 2026 11:55am (20d ago)| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash & Equivalents | $312.0M | $93.4M | $92.0M | $99.0M | $138.4M |
| Total Current Assets | $925.9M | $899.5M | $917.1M | $899.8M | $1.1B |
| Total Assets | $1.5B | $1.5B | $1.7B | $1.8B | $2.0B |
| Current Liabilities | $187.9M | $135.7M | $118.8M | $125.4M | $108.0M |
| Long-Term Debt | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total Liabilities | $367.0M | $257.5M | $221.7M | $215.8M | $202.7M |
| Total Equity | $1.1B | $1.3B | $1.4B | $1.6B | $1.8B |
| Retained Earnings | $500.2M | $653.3M | $789.6M | $934.7M | $1.1B |
Cash Flow (Annual)
Last updated: Aug 3, 2026 12:26pm (20d ago)| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $191.1M | $126.8M | $154.8M | $253.7M | $210.8M |
| Capital Expenditure | -$43.2M | -$42.5M | -$59.8M | -$42.6M | -$56.5M |
| Free Cash Flow | $147.9M | $84.3M | $95.0M | $211.1M | $154.4M |
| Acquisitions (net) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Net Debt Issued / (Repaid) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dividends Paid | -$37.9M | -$57.0M | -$66.7M | -$76.2M | -$85.5M |
| Stock Buybacks | $0 | — | $0 | $0 | -$32.9M |
| Net Change in Cash | -$318.0M | -$218.6M | -$1.4M | $7.0M | $39.4M |
Growth Trends (YoY %)
Last updated: Aug 3, 2026 12:26pm (20d ago)| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | +11.4% | -6.5% | +12.4% | +0.5% |
| Gross Profit Growth | +11.4% | -9.8% | +13.2% | -0.5% |
| Operating Income Growth | +17.3% | -18.7% | +10.0% | +4.1% |
| Net Income Growth | +14.0% | -3.4% | +9.4% | +9.0% |
| EBITDA Growth | +17.9% | -16.2% | +8.2% | +4.6% |
Dividend History (Last 20)
Last updated: Aug 3, 2026 11:55am (20d ago)| Date | Dividend | Declaration | Record | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | $0.50 | — | — | — |
| 2026-03-17 | $0.50 | — | — | — |
| 2025-12-17 | $0.45 | — | — | — |
| 2025-09-16 | $0.45 | — | — | — |
| 2025-06-16 | $0.45 | — | — | — |
| 2025-03-17 | $0.45 | — | — | — |
| 2024-12-17 | $0.40 | — | — | — |
| 2024-09-16 | $0.40 | — | — | — |
| 2024-06-14 | $0.40 | — | — | — |
| 2024-03-14 | $0.40 | — | — | — |
| 2023-12-14 | $0.35 | — | — | — |
| 2023-09-14 | $0.35 | — | — | — |
| 2023-06-15 | $0.35 | — | — | — |
| 2023-03-16 | $0.35 | — | — | — |
| 2022-12-15 | $0.30 | — | — | — |
| 2022-09-15 | $0.30 | — | — | — |
| 2022-06-15 | $0.30 | — | — | — |
| 2022-03-16 | $0.30 | — | — | — |
| 2021-12-15 | $0.20 | — | — | — |
| 2021-09-15 | $0.20 | — | — | — |
Deep Analysis
Narrative Economics
market-narrative step).
Claude Reading
Reading the raw numbers first: OLED is not accelerating, it's plateauing. Annual revenue went $553M→$616M→$576M→$647M→$650M — that's a 6.2% CAGR flattered by the 2023 trough, and the 2024→2025 delta is essentially zero ($647.7M to $650.6M, +0.5%). The most recent quarter, March 2026 at $142.2M with 25.2% net margin, is the weakest print in the visible series on both lines — down 14.5% sequentially and, more damning, down 14.5% year-over-year vs Q1 2025's $166.3M at 38.8% margin. The "accelerating quarterly trend" tag in the secondary signals is flat wrong; the trajectory is decelerating and margins are compressing hard (Q1'26 NI margin of 25.2% vs a trailing average nearer 35%). Balance sheet is pristine — zero debt, $138M cash, 10x current ratio, 76% gross margin, 38% operating margin — this is a genuine IP-royalty franchise, not a cyclical widget maker. But franchise quality doesn't rescue a stagnating top line at 15.9x earnings when growth is decelerating into the print.
On the prior models: the synthesis verdict of "fully priced, fair value ~$64" is directionally right but I think the models are being too generous on the growth assumption. The narrative layer's "platform-monopoly, anchored, moderate intensity" read is accurate — this is a real moat (Samsung, LG, BOE all pay UDC), but the bear case is already showing up in the numbers. Q1'26's margin collapse to 25% is exactly what you'd expect from pricing pressure or unfavorable material/royalty mix as Chinese panel makers gain leverage. The pre-flight thesis that "market prices in stagnation" is half-right — the market is pricing in stagnation of the current business but still assigning a platform multiple (5.9x sales, 15.9x earnings on a no-growth base). Meanwhile the "Significant Insider Buying" tag is nonsense — those are award grants and a gift, not open-market purchases. That's a data-quality error the models are feeding on. Sector Leader is fair; Macro Headwinds is generic.
The contrarian bull case that no one is articulating cleanly: UDC has zero debt, $210M operating cash flow on $650M revenue (32% OCF margin), pays a 2.35% dividend with only 35% payout, and if OLED penetration into IT panels and automotive arrives on the 2027-2029 timeline that Samsung and LG capex plans suggest, the company gets a step-function revenue lift with essentially no incremental capex (capex was only $56M). At $80.69 and $3.75B market cap, you're paying ~24x FCF for a monopoly-adjacent IP business with net cash — not obviously expensive if you believe the next OLED wave shows up. The contrarian bear case, which I find more compelling given Q1'26: the Chinese design-around risk is materializing now, not later. A one-quarter margin drop from 39% to 25% on flat-ish revenue is exactly the fingerprint of royalty renegotiation or mix shift toward lower-margin material sales as customers push back. If Q2'26 confirms sub-30% net margins, the earnings base resets from ~$240M to ~$180M and the "15.9x P/E" becomes 21x on the true run-rate.
I partially agree with the synthesis but lean more bearish. Fair value at $64 assumes margins normalize; if the Q1'26 margin is the new normal rather than an anomaly, fair value is closer to $50-55. The stock at $80.69 requires you to believe either (a) Q1'26 margin was one-time noise, or (b) OLED TAM expansion arrives before patent cliff / Chinese alternatives erode pricing. Neither is unreasonable, but neither is demonstrated in the data on the table. I would not be short — the balance sheet, dividend, and moat make this a poor short — but I wouldn't own it here either. Wait for the Q2'26 print to confirm whether margins recover to the mid-30s or stay in the mid-20s; that single data point resolves 70% of the thesis. Meaningful accumulation zone is $55-60, where you're paid for the platform optionality without underwriting the margin recovery.
GPT Reading
At $80.69, I think the market is still paying too much for a business that has elite margins but not elite growth. The raw numbers say Universal Display is a wonderful company and a merely okay stock here. Annual revenue has gone from $553.5 million in 2021 to $650.6 million in 2025, which is only about 4% total growth over the last three years from the 2022 peak of $616.6 million to 2025. That is not the profile that normally deserves 5.9x sales. What is genuinely impressive is profitability: 2025 gross margin was 76.3%, operating margin 38.2%, and net margin 37.2%, with $242.1 million of net income on $650.6 million of revenue. The balance sheet is equally clean, with no debt, $138.4 million of cash, and a current ratio above 10. This is a royalty-and-materials model that converts a lot of revenue into earnings, and the 15.9x P/E looks optically cheap for technology. But that multiple only looks cheap if the earnings base is durable and positioned to grow; the revenue line so far looks far more cyclical and range-bound than compounder-like.
The quarterly pattern is what stands out most. Revenue was $166.3 million in 2025Q1, $171.8 million in Q2, then dropped to $139.6 million in Q3 before rebounding to $172.9 million in Q4, and then fell again to $142.2 million in 2026Q1. Net income followed the same pattern, from $64.4 million in 2025Q1 to $67.3 million in Q2, down to $44.0 million in Q3, up to $66.3 million in Q4, then back to $35.9 million in 2026Q1. Even allowing for customer ordering lumpiness and royalty timing, that is not a business showing clear demand acceleration. The latest quarter is particularly hard to celebrate: revenue declined 14.5% year over year from $166.3 million to $142.2 million, and net income dropped 44% from $64.4 million to $35.9 million, with margin compressing from 38.8% to 25.2%. That directly contradicts any claim of “accelerating” recent fundamentals. The annual numbers remain respectable because the model has huge cushions, but the most recent datapoint says near-term earnings power is lower than the trailing 2025 result investors are capitalizing.
Cash flow does not fully bail out the bull case either. Operating cash flow of $210.8 million on $242.1 million of net income is fine, but free cash flow was $154.4 million after $56.5 million of capex. Against a $3.75 billion market cap, that is roughly a 4.1% FCF yield. For a business with essentially flat annual revenue between 2024 and 2025—$647.7 million to $650.6 million—that is not obviously cheap, even with a debt-free balance sheet and a 2.35% dividend yield. The clean capital structure and high returns on capital, 12.6% ROIC and 13.8% ROE, absolutely deserve a premium to generic hardware names. But the current price appears to capitalize a reopening of growth that the reported numbers have not yet delivered. If the business were growing 10-15% organically with these margins, $80 would be easier to defend; with revenue effectively stuck around the mid-$600 million range and quarter-to-quarter volatility this high, fair value looks closer to the low-to-mid $60s.
The best case against my view is straightforward: this is exactly the kind of company that screens as expensive on sales and EV/revenue right before a new adoption leg makes those multiples look silly. Net income has still risen from $184.2 million in 2021 to $242.1 million in 2025, a 31% increase, while free cash flow growth has been even stronger over time. Gross profit stayed near $500 million in both 2024 and 2025 despite little top-line growth, showing how resilient the economics are. A 15.9x trailing P/E and 13.0x EV/EBITDA for a monopoly-like IP supplier with zero debt, 76% gross margins, and end-market optionality in IT displays, auto, and potentially other form factors is not egregious. If OLED penetration broadens even modestly, incremental revenue could carry very high drop-through. That is a real argument, and it explains why the stock can trade above a plain DCF. I weigh it less heavily because the market has been telling that OLED expansion story for years while the actual annual revenue line still oscillates rather than compounds.
What would change my mind is not another narrative about future applications but evidence in the reported numbers that a new growth phase has started. I would want to see at least two consecutive quarters above $170 million of revenue, with year-over-year growth back into the low teens and net margins recovering into the 35%-40% range. On a full-year basis, a path to $700 million-plus revenue with operating income above $270 million would make $80 look much more reasonable, especially if cash flow conversion improved and capex normalized. Conversely, if 2026 trends toward another roughly $650 million year with earnings pressured by weaker royalty timing or material mix, the current multiple is too generous for a mature IP franchise.
Grok Reading
Universal Display’s numbers describe a pristine cash engine whose top line has simply stopped moving. Full-year 2025 revenue of $650.6 M was a rounding error above 2024’s $647.7 M; the five-year revenue CAGR sits at a pedestrian 6.2 %. Yet the company still converted that flat revenue into $242 M of net income (37 % margin), $211 M of operating cash flow and $154 M of free cash flow, all while carrying zero debt and $138 M of cash against a $1.76 B equity base. Gross margin remains an extraordinary 76 %, operating margin 38 %. The most recent print, however, is ugly: Q1 2026 revenue collapsed to $142 M from $166 M a year earlier and net margin compressed to 25 %. That single quarter undercuts the “high revenue confidence / accelerating” secondary signal and confirms that smartphone OLED penetration has largely matured while the next waves (IT panels, automotive, foldables) have not yet shown up in the P&L.
At $80.69 the stock trades at 15.9× trailing earnings, 13× EV/EBITDA and 5.5× EV/sales—multiples that look reasonable only if modest growth resumes. With revenue growth at essentially zero and FCF yield a modest 4.1 %, the market is already paying a full price for the existing royalty stream. The valuation synthesis fair-value band around $64 implies roughly 20 % downside; given the stalled top line and the soft March quarter I see little reason to quarrel with that anchor. A 2.35 % dividend and fortress balance sheet provide a floor, but they do not justify a premium when the growth story is on pause.
The strongest counter-argument is quality and optionality. Few businesses generate mid-30 % net margins, 12–14 % ROIC and 27 % FCF CAGR with no leverage and a genuine IP moat that every major panel maker still must license. If OLED finally breaks out of phones into automotive and large-area IT displays, the incremental royalty dollars drop almost entirely to free cash flow; the same $650 M revenue base could support far higher earnings power and a re-rating toward 20×. Bulls will also note that earnings still grew 9 % last year despite flat sales, evidence of residual operating leverage and mix shift toward higher-royalty materials. That case is real, but it remains a call option on volumes that have not yet appeared in the reported numbers.
I would reverse stance on two concrete catalysts: (1) two consecutive quarters of year-over-year revenue growth above 8 % accompanied by management commentary that automotive or IT material shipments have begun scaling, or (2) a clear step-up in the royalty rate or material ASP that lifts trailing net margin back above 38 % on a run-rate basis. Absent those, the stock looks like a high-quality mature earner priced for growth that is not currently visible.
Big-3 Panel — where each AI stands
Advanced Analysis Forensic deep-dive · separate lenses
Universal Display runs a rare business model: a materials-and-IP licensor to the OLED display supply chain with gross margins persistently at 76-79% and operating margins in the high 30s to low 40s. The balance sheet is a fortress - $602M liquid cash, zero net debt, Altman Z of 13.2, and $154M of annual FCF that fully self-funds the business. Earnings quality checks are clean: OCF/NI 0.88x, accruals just 1.5% of assets, Beneish M at -2.37. Insider tape shows genuine open-market P-code buying by Elias and Premutico (~$362K combined at ~$90/sh range) with zero sales - a directionally positive signal.
Verify before trusting this (5)
- Customer concentration disclosure in 10-K (Samsung Display / LG Display % of revenue)
- Split between materials sales vs royalty/license revenue and margin trajectory of each
- Status and expiry timeline of key OLED patents and any licensing renewal negotiations
- R&D spend trend and pipeline (blue phosphorescent OLED commercialization progress)
- Capital return policy - why the cash pile keeps growing rather than being returned
The e2e composite pegs fair value at $62.03 (signal-adjusted $64.20) against a $80.18 print, implying ~20-25% downside. The two conservative methods cluster tightly and low - DCF at $45.30 and EPV floor at $43.50 - while only the anchored P/E at $114.03 supports the current quote, and that method is essentially extrapolating a premium multiple onto flat earnings. Stripping out ~$13/share of net cash ($600M / 47M shares), the operating business is being valued near $67, still a healthy multiple on a revenue line that has flatlined since 2022. What has to be true to justify $80: OLED penetration re-accelerates into IT/auto, licensing rates hold against Chinese pushback, and material margins stop compressing. That is the bull case verbatim - it is fully embedded in the price. The quality lens (Strong, 59) legitimately lifts deserved value above the DCF/EPV floor, which is why I lean on the composite $62-64 rather than the $45 methods. But even generously crediting the moat, the margin of safety is negative here. This is a fine business at a full price, not a mispricing.
Verify before trusting this (5)
- Forward licensing rate disclosures in 10-K and any renegotiation language with Samsung Display
- Material sales gross margin trajectory - any further compression narrows deserved value
- Management commentary on IT/auto OLED design wins and timing
- Whether Chinese panel makers (BOE) are litigating or designing around key patents
- Buyback pace vs the $600M cash pile - capital return would raise deserved value
The market tape is neutral-to-mildly-constructive (VIX 16, S&P near highs), so there is no broad risk-off wave beating this name. The pressure is name-specific: OLED just missed Q2 (revenue -11.4% y/y), cut full-year guidance, and the news cycle is dominated by 'weak smartphone demand and supply chain headwinds.' That reframes the platform-monopoly story from 'inevitable OLED TAM expansion' into 'licensing model with cyclical exposure and Chinese design-around risk,' which is exactly the bear script. Narrative intensity is only moderate and durability is moderate - there is no cult bid to absorb a guide-down. Analyst/press tone has pivoted to 'reasonable but broken' and 'could be 37% undervalued' framing - that is value-trap language, not accumulation language, and it tends to cap rallies rather than spark them. Momentum confirms: recent 0.5% vs 6.2% long-term trend is a stall, not a base. Macro sensitivity is mild (low beta, profitable, cash-generative), so higher rates and a 26.9x market PE are a background drag rather than the driver. The dominant force is the guide-down narrative overhang on a story stock whose story just weakened.
Verify before trusting this (4)
- Whether sell-side revisions stabilize or keep cutting into next quarter
- Any commentary on Chinese licensee renewal terms or design-around progress
- Smartphone OLED unit data from Samsung/LG that could either confirm or break the weak-demand narrative
- Sector rotation into semis/components that could lift OLED on flows alone
This lens hasn't been run for this ticker yet.