Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI) saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. The recent rally in share prices has nudged the company in the right direction, though it still falls short of its yearly peak. With many analysts covering the large-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 examine Cummins's valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there's still a bargain opportunity.

Is Cummins Still Cheap?

According to our price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and the industry average, the stock price seems to be justfied. We've used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because there's not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stock's ratio of 22.79x is currently trading slightly above its industry peers' ratio of 22.4x, which means if you buy Cummins today, you'd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe that Cummins should be trading at this level in the long run, then there should only be a fairly immaterial downside vs other industry peers. Furthermore, it seems like Cummins's share price is quite stable, which means there may be less chances to buy low in the future now that it's priced similarly to industry peers. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta.

What kind of growth will Cummins generate?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you're looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let's also take a look at the company's future expectations. Cummins' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 61%, 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? It seems like the market has already priced in CMI's positive outlook, with shares trading around industry price multiples. However, there are also other important factors which we haven't considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at CMI? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuate below the industry PE ratio?

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on CMI, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for CMI, which means it's worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Cummins at this point in time. While conducting our analysis, we found that Cummins has 3 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them.

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

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.