At €53.00, Is It Time To Put LANXESS Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:LXS) On Your Watch List?

LANXESS Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:LXS), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the XTRA over the last few months, increasing to €59.54 at one point, and dropping to the lows of €51.24. 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 LANXESS' current trading price of €53.00 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 LANXESS’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 LANXESS

Is LANXESS still cheap?

LANXESS 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 LANXESS’s ratio of 22.41x is above its peer average of 11.23x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Chemicals industry. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since LANXESS’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 kind of growth will LANXESS generate?

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. LANXESS' 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? LXS’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. However, this brings up another question – is now the right time to sell? If you believe LXS 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 LXS 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 LXS, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you'd like to know more about LANXESS as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Be aware that LANXESS is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis and 1 of those is concerning...

If you are no longer interested in LANXESS, 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.