HNI Corporation (NYSE:HNI), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. The company is inching closer to its yearly highs following the recent share price climb. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock's share price. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let's take a look at HNI's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

Is HNI Still Cheap?

Good news, investors! HNI is still a bargain right now according to our price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, we've used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock's cash flows. we find that HNI's ratio of 21.15x is below its peer average of 29.59x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Commercial Services industry. What's more interesting is that, HNI's share price is quite stable, which could mean two things: firstly, it may take the share price a while to move closer to its industry peers, and secondly, there may be less chances to buy low in the future once it reaches that value. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta.

What kind of growth will HNI generate?

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. HNI's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 69%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Since HNI is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic profit outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on HNI for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its buoyant future profit outlook isn't fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it's not too late to buy HNI. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed assessment.

So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. For example - HNI has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you are no longer interested in HNI, 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.