Is Now An Opportune Moment To Examine Airtel Africa Plc (LON:AAF)?

While Airtel Africa Plc (LON:AAF) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the LSE, rising to highs of UK£1.29 and falling to the lows of UK£1.05. 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 Airtel Africa's current trading price of UK£1.07 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 Airtel Africa’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 Airtel Africa

What Is Airtel Africa Worth?

Good news, investors! Airtel Africa 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. I’ve used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because there’s not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stock’s ratio of 7.55x is currently well-below the industry average of 13.92x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because Airtel Africa’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 does the future of Airtel Africa look like?

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 28% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Airtel Africa. 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 AAF is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic profit 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 AAF for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its buoyant future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy AAF. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed assessment.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Airtel Africa at this point in time. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Airtel Africa you should be aware of.

If you are no longer interested in Airtel Africa, 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.