Is Now An Opportune Moment To Examine Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (TSE:ATD)?

Let's talk about the popular Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (TSE:ATD). The company's shares saw significant share price movement during recent months on the TSX, rising to highs of CA$60.19 and falling to the lows of CA$50.21. 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 Alimentation Couche-Tard's current trading price of CA$54.53 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 Alimentation Couche-Tard’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

See our latest analysis for Alimentation Couche-Tard

What Is Alimentation Couche-Tard Worth?

The share price seems sensible at the moment according to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, I’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. I find that Alimentation Couche-Tard’s ratio of 14.72x is trading slightly above its industry peers’ ratio of 13.72x, which means if you buy Alimentation Couche-Tard today, you’d be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe Alimentation Couche-Tard should be trading in this range, then there isn’t really any room for the share price grow beyond the levels of other industry peers over the long-term. Furthermore, Alimentation Couche-Tard’s share price also seems relatively stable compared to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This may mean it is less likely for the stock to fall lower from natural market volatility, which suggests less opportunities to buy moving forward.

What kind of growth will Alimentation Couche-Tard generate?

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. Alimentation Couche-Tard's earnings growth are expected to be in the teens in the upcoming years, indicating a solid future ahead. This should lead to robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? ATD’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 ATD? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below the industry PE ratio?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on ATD, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for ATD, 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.

Since timing is quite important when it comes to individual stock picking, it's worth taking a look at what those latest analysts forecasts are. Luckily, you can check out what analysts are forecasting by clicking here.

If you are no longer interested in Alimentation Couche-Tard, 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.