While Hexcel Corporation (NYSE:HXL) might not have the largest market cap around , it saw its share price hover around a small range of US$58.69 to US$64.39 over the last few weeks. But is this actually reflective of the share value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let's take a look at Hexcel's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.
What's The Opportunity In Hexcel?
Hexcel appears to be expensive according to our price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and 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 46.23x is currently well-above the industry average of 35.97x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Given that Hexcel'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 another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.
What does the future of Hexcel look like?
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. With profit expected to more than double over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Hexcel. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.
What This Means For You
Are you a shareholder? HXL's optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe HXL should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.
Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on HXL for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for HXL, which means it's worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.
If you'd like to know more about Hexcel as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that Hexcel has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them.
If you are no longer interested in Hexcel, 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.
