When Should You Buy Wharf (Holdings) Limited (HKG:4)?

Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Wharf (Holdings) Limited (HKG:4). The company's stock led the SEHK gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. With many analysts covering the large-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 Wharf (Holdings)’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

View our latest analysis for Wharf (Holdings)

What is Wharf (Holdings) worth?

According to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average, the stock currently looks expensive. 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 12.77x is currently well-above the industry average of 6.53x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Given that Wharf (Holdings)’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 does the future of Wharf (Holdings) look like?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. 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. However, with a negative profit growth of -10% expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth certainly doesn’t appear to be a driver for a buy decision for Wharf (Holdings). This certainty tips the risk-return scale towards higher risk.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? If you believe 4 is currently trading above its peers, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. Given the uncertainty from negative growth in the future, this could be the right time to de-risk your portfolio. 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 an eye on 4 for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. Its price has risen beyond its industry peers, on top of a negative 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?

It can be quite valuable to consider what analysts expect for Wharf (Holdings) from their most recent forecasts. Luckily, you can check out what analysts are forecasting by clicking here.

If you are no longer interested in Wharf (Holdings), 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.