What Is Grafton Group plc's (LON:GFTU) Share Price Doing?

Grafton Group plc (LON:GFTU), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw a significant share price rise of 23% in the past couple of months on the LSE. The recent share price gains has brought the company back closer to its yearly peak. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Let’s examine Grafton Group’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

View our latest analysis for Grafton Group

Is Grafton Group Still Cheap?

According to our valuation model, the stock is currently overvalued by about 35%, trading at UK£9.47 compared to our intrinsic value of £7.04. This means that the buying opportunity has probably disappeared for now. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Given that Grafton Group’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What kind of growth will Grafton Group 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. Though in the case of Grafton Group, it is expected to deliver a negative earnings growth of -19%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? If you believe GFTU should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. Given the risk from a negative growth outlook, this could be the right time to reduce your total portfolio risk. 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 tabs on GFTU for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. you may want to reconsider buying the stock at this time. The company’s price has climbed passed its true value, in addition to a risky future outlook. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the track record of its management. Should the price fall in the future, will you be well-informed enough to buy?

If you'd like to know more about Grafton Group as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Grafton Group and we think they deserve your attention.

If you are no longer interested in Grafton 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.