Why Bank of China Limited (HKG:3988) Could Be Worth Watching

Let's talk about the popular Bank of China Limited (HKG:3988). The company's shares saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$3.37 and falling to the lows of HK$3.06. 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 Bank of China's current trading price of HK$3.28 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 Bank of China’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Check out our latest analysis for Bank of China

What's the opportunity in Bank of China?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my relative valuation model. I’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 4.83x is currently trading slightly below its industry peers’ ratio of 6.07x, which means if you buy Bank of China today, you’d be paying a fair price for it. And if you believe that Bank of China should be trading at this level in the long run, 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 Bank of China’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 Bank of China?

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 a double-digit 10% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Bank of China. 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? 3988’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, 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 3988? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuate below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on 3988, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for 3988, 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.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters – the fundamentals – before you make a decision on Bank of China. You can find everything you need to know about Bank of China in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Bank of China, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.