Weichai Power Co., Ltd. (HKG:2338) received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the SEHK over the last few months, increasing to HK$15.64 at one point, and dropping to the lows of HK$10.68. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Weichai Power's current trading price of HK$11.24 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let's take a look at Weichai Power'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 Weichai Power?
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 8.34x is currently trading slightly above its industry peers' ratio of 7.76x, which means if you buy Weichai Power today, you'd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe that Weichai Power should be trading at this level in the long run, then there should only be a fairly immaterial downside vs other industry peers. Furthermore, Weichai Power's share price also seems relatively stable compared to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This may mean it is less likely for the stock to fall lower from natural market volatility, which suggests less opportunities to buy moving forward.
Can we expect growth from Weichai Power?
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. Weichai Power's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 25%, 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 2338'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 financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at 2338? 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 2338, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the optimistic forecast is encouraging for 2338, 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 Weichai Power, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Weichai Power and we think they deserve your attention.
If you are no longer interested in Weichai Power, 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.