Is Clarkson PLC (LON:CKN) Potentially Undervalued?

Clarkson PLC (LON:CKN), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the LSE over the last few months. As a stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Today I will analyse the most recent data on Clarkson’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

View our latest analysis for Clarkson

What's the opportunity in Clarkson?

The stock is currently trading at UK£26.35 on the share market, which means it is overvalued by 21% compared to my intrinsic value of £21.70. Not the best news for investors looking to buy! But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Clarkson’s share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. 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.

What does the future of Clarkson 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. Though in the case of Clarkson, it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting top-line growth of 1.6% in the next few years, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. Growth doesn’t appear to be a main reason for a buy decision for the company, at least in the near term.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in CKN’s future outlook, with shares trading above its fair value. However, this brings up another question – is now the right time to sell? If you believe CKN 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. 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 CKN for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its true value, which means there’s no upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Clarkson and you'll want to know about it.

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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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