While Gates Industrial Corporation plc (NYSE:GTES) might not have the largest market cap around , it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the NYSE over the last few months. The company is now trading at yearly-high levels following the recent surge in its share price. 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? Today we will analyse the most recent data on Gates Industrial's outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

What Is Gates Industrial Worth?

The share price seems sensible at the moment according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. 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 25.85x is currently trading slightly above its industry peers' ratio of 22.62x, which means if you buy Gates Industrial today, you'd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe Gates Industrial should be trading in this range, then there isn't really any room for the share price grow beyond the levels of other industry peers over the long-term. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Gates Industrial's share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from Gates Industrial?

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. 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. Gates Industrial's earnings over the next few years are expected to double, indicating a very optimistic future ahead. This should lead to stronger cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? GTES's optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, 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 GTES? 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 tabs on GTES, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for GTES, 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.

If you want to dive deeper into Gates Industrial, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that Gates Industrial has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

If you are no longer interested in Gates Industrial, 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.