While The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. As a small cap stock, hardly covered by any analysts, there is generally more of an opportunity for mispricing as there is less activity to push the stock closer to fair value. Is there still an opportunity here to buy? Let's take a look at Buckle's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

See our latest analysis for Buckle

What Is Buckle Worth?

Good news, investors! Buckle is still a bargain right now according to my price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, I've used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock's cash flows. I find that Buckle's ratio of 7.48x is below its peer average of 11.62x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Specialty Retail industry. Another thing to keep in mind is that Buckle's share price is quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards its industry peers, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once it's there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.

Can we expect growth from Buckle?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that it's the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Though in the case of Buckle, it is expected to deliver a negative earnings growth of -6.2%, which doesn't help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Although BKE is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, the negative profit outlook does bring on some uncertainty, which equates to higher risk. I recommend you think about whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to BKE, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return.

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping tabs on BKE for some time, but hesitant on making the leap, I recommend you research further into the stock. Given its current price multiple, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Buckle at this point in time. Our analysis shows 3 warning signs for Buckle (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) and we strongly recommend you look at them before investing.

If you are no longer interested in Buckle, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.