Should You Think About Buying Aecon Group Inc. (TSE:ARE) Now?

While Aecon Group Inc. (TSE:ARE) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the TSX over the last few months, increasing to CA$20.55 at one point, and dropping to the lows of CA$16.00. 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 Aecon Group's current trading price of CA$17.25 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Aecon Group’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 Aecon Group

What is Aecon Group worth?

Good news, investors! Aecon Group is still a bargain right now according to my price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. 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 15.08x is currently well-below the industry average of 25.4x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. Another thing to keep in mind is that Aecon Group’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 its industry peers, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once it’s there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.

What kind of growth will Aecon Group generate?

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 Aecon Group, it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting earnings growth of 4.2%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. Growth doesn’t appear to be a main reason for a buy decision for the company, at least in the near term.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Even though growth is relatively muted, since ARE is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on ARE for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy ARE. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed investment decision.

Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Aecon Group you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in Aecon Group, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.