Why Franchise Brands plc (LON:FRAN) Could Be Worth Watching

Franchise Brands plc (LON:FRAN), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the AIM over the last few months. As a small cap stock, hardly covered by any analysts, there is generally more of an opportunity for mispricing as there is less activity to push the stock closer to fair value. Is there still an opportunity here to buy? Let’s examine Franchise Brands’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for Franchise Brands

What is Franchise Brands worth?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my valuation model. It’s trading around 14.61% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Franchise Brands today, you’d be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe the company’s true value is £1.20, then there isn’t really any room for the share price grow beyond what it’s currently trading. Is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Franchise Brands’s share price is quite volatile, we could potentially see it sink lower (or rise higher) in the future, giving us another chance to buy. 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.

Can we expect growth from Franchise Brands?

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 93% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Franchise Brands. 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? It seems like the market has already priced in FRAN’s positive outlook, with shares trading around its fair value. 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 the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on FRAN, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Franchise Brands at this point in time. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Franchise Brands you should be aware of.

If you are no longer interested in Franchise Brands, 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. 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.
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