What Is NEXT plc's (LON:NXT) Share Price Doing?

NEXT plc (LON:NXT), which is in the multiline retail business, and is based in United Kingdom, received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the LSE over the last few months. As a mid-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let’s take a look at NEXT’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

View our latest analysis for NEXT

What is NEXT worth?

Good news, investors! NEXT is still a bargain right now according to my price multiple model, which compares 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 NEXT’s ratio of 9.95x is below its peer average of 27.38x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Multiline Retail industry. What’s more interesting is that, NEXT’s share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. 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 NEXT?

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. However, with a negative profit growth of -15% expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth certainly doesn’t appear to be a driver for a buy decision for NEXT. This certainty tips the risk-return scale towards higher risk.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Although NXT is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, the adverse prospect of negative growth brings about some degree of risk. I recommend you think about whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to NXT, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on NXT for some time, but hesitant on making the leap, I recommend you dig deeper into the stock. Given its current price multiple, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters – the fundamentals – before you make a decision on NEXT. You can find everything you need to know about NEXT in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in NEXT, you can use our free platform to see my 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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