Insteel Industries, Inc. (NYSE:IIIN), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the NYSE over the last few months. The recent share price gains has brought the company back closer to its yearly peak. 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 examine Insteel Industries's valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there's still a bargain opportunity.

Is Insteel Industries Still Cheap?

According to our valuation model, Insteel Industries seems to be fairly priced at around 1.9% below our intrinsic value, which means if you buy Insteel Industries today, you'd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $37.71, then there's not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. Although, there may be an opportunity to buy in the future. This is because Insteel Industries's beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the company's shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity.

What kind of growth will Insteel Industries generate?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. 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. With profit expected to grow by 72% over the next year, the near-term future seems bright for Insteel Industries. 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? It seems like the market has already priced in IIIN's positive outlook, with shares trading around its fair value. 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 the stock? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on IIIN, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for the company, 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 if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Insteel Industries and you'll want to know about it.

If you are no longer interested in Insteel Industries, 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.