Is It Time To Consider Buying Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO)?

Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO) saw significant share price movement during recent months on the TSX, rising to highs of CA$101 and falling to the lows of CA$89.21. 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 Montreal's current trading price of CA$97.31 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 Montreal’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for Bank of Montreal

What's the opportunity in Bank of Montreal?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my valuation model. It’s trading around 16% below my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Bank of Montreal today, you’d be paying a fair price for it. And if you believe the company’s true value is CA$115.96, then there’s not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Bank of Montreal’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What does the future of Bank of Montreal look like?

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. Though in the case of Bank of Montreal, it is expected to deliver a negative earnings growth of -0.1%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Currently, BMO appears to be trading around its fair value, but given the uncertainty from negative returns in the future, this could be the right time to de-risk your portfolio. Is your current exposure to the stock optimal for your total portfolio? And is the opportunity cost of holding a negative-outlook stock too high? Before you make a decision on the stock, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on BMO for a while, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. The stock appears to be trading at fair value, which means there’s less benefit from mispricing. In addition to this, the negative growth outlook increases the risk of holding the stock. However, there are also other important factors we haven’t considered today, which can help crystalize your views on BMO should the price fluctuate below its true value.

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

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.

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. Thank you for reading.