Let's talk about the popular Wesfarmers Limited (ASX:WES). The company's shares saw a decent share price growth of 12% on the ASX over the last few months. The recent jump in the share price has meant that the company is trading around its 52-week high. With many analysts covering the large-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Today we will analyse the most recent data on Wesfarmers’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.
Check out our latest analysis for Wesfarmers
Is Wesfarmers Still Cheap?
Wesfarmers is currently expensive based on our price multiple model, where we look at the company's price-to-earnings ratio in comparison 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 Wesfarmers’s ratio of 33.11x is above its peer average of 23.38x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Multiline Retail industry. Another thing to keep in mind is that Wesfarmers’s share price is quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards the levels of its industry peers 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 for it to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.
Can we expect growth from Wesfarmers?
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. Wesfarmers' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 28%, 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 well and truly priced in WES’s positive outlook, with shares trading above industry price multiples. However, this brings up another question – is now the right time to sell? If you believe WES 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 tabs on WES for some time, 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 WES, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.
If you want to dive deeper into Wesfarmers, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. For example - Wesfarmers has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.
If you are no longer interested in Wesfarmers, 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.
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