While Brunswick Corporation (NYSE:BC) might not have the largest market cap around , it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$85.95 and falling to the lows of US$64.70. 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 Brunswick's current trading price of US$64.70 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let's take a look at Brunswick's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.
What Is Brunswick 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. In this instance, we've used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock's cash flows. We find that Brunswick's ratio of 14.65x is trading slightly below its industry peers' ratio of 16.15x, which means if you buy Brunswick today, you'd be paying a decent price for it. And if you believe that Brunswick should be trading at this level in the long run, then there's not much of an upside to gain over and above other industry peers. Although, there may be an opportunity to buy in the future. This is because Brunswick'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.
Can we expect growth from Brunswick?
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. Brunswick's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 96%, 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? BC'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 BC? 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 an eye on BC, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the optimistic forecast is encouraging for BC, 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 Brunswick, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. For example, Brunswick has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.
If you are no longer interested in Brunswick, 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.
