Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Elastic N.V. (NYSE:ESTC). The company's stock saw a significant share price rise of 42% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. While good news for shareholders, the company has traded much higher in the past year. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company's outlook is already priced into the stock. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let's examine Elastic's valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there's still a bargain opportunity.
Is Elastic Still Cheap?
The stock is currently trading at US$108 on the share market, which means it is overvalued by 32% compared to our intrinsic value of $82.35. This means that the opportunity to buy Elastic at a good price has disappeared! Another thing to keep in mind is that Elastic's share price is quite stable relative to the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards its intrinsic value over time, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once it's there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.
What does the future of Elastic 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. However, with an extremely negative double-digit change in profit expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth is certainly not a driver of a buy decision. It seems like high uncertainty is on the cards for Elastic, at least in the near future.
What This Means For You
Are you a shareholder? If you believe ESTC is currently trading above its value, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. Given the risk from a negative growth outlook, this could be the right time to de-risk your portfolio. 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 ESTC for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. you may want to reconsider buying the stock at this time. The company's price has climbed passed its true value, in addition to a risky future outlook. However, there are also other important factors which we haven't considered today, such as the track record of its management. Should the price fall in the future, will you be well-informed enough to buy?
In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Elastic (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be familiar with.
If you are no longer interested in Elastic, 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.
