Is Now The Time To Look At Buying Vicat SA (EPA:VCT)?

While Vicat SA (EPA:VCT) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the ENXTPA over the last few months, increasing to €39.45 at one point, and dropping to the lows of €34.10. 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 Vicat's current trading price of €36.80 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 Vicat’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Check out our latest analysis for Vicat

Is Vicat still cheap?

Great news for investors – Vicat is still trading at a fairly cheap price 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 Vicat’s ratio of 7.31x is below its peer average of 15.23x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Basic Materials industry. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because Vicat’s beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the company’s shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity.

What kind of growth will Vicat 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. With profit expected to grow by 23% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Vicat. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Since VCT is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With a positive outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. 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 VCT for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its buoyant future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy VCT. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed assessment.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Vicat at this point in time. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Vicat.

If you are no longer interested in Vicat, 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.