Should You Think About Buying AltaGas Ltd. (TSE:ALA) Now?

AltaGas Ltd. (TSE:ALA), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the TSX, rising to highs of CA$27.64 and falling to the lows of CA$22.31. 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 AltaGas' current trading price of CA$23.87 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at AltaGas’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 AltaGas

Is AltaGas Still Cheap?

AltaGas is currently expensive based on my price multiple model, where I look at the company's price-to-earnings ratio in comparison 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 AltaGas’s ratio of 35.55x is above its peer average of 19.84x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Gas Utilities industry. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Since AltaGas’s share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

What does the future of AltaGas look like?

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. AltaGas' earnings over the next few years are expected to double, indicating a very optimistic future ahead. This should lead to stronger 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 ALA’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 ALA 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 an eye on ALA for a while, 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 ALA, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. To help with this, we've discovered 4 warning signs (2 are a bit unpleasant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in AltaGas.

If you are no longer interested in AltaGas, 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.