Should You Think About Buying Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (HKG:293) Now?

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (HKG:293), is not the largest company out there, but it saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the SEHK. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let’s examine Cathay Pacific Airways’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

View our latest analysis for Cathay Pacific Airways

What's the opportunity in Cathay Pacific Airways?

According to my valuation model, Cathay Pacific Airways seems to be fairly priced at around 15.13% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Cathay Pacific Airways today, you’d be paying a relatively fair price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth HK$5.88, there’s only an insignificant downside when the price falls to its real value. Although, there may be an opportunity to buy in the future. This is because Cathay Pacific Airways’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.

Can we expect growth from Cathay Pacific Airways?

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. With profit expected to grow by 67% over the next year, the near-term future seems bright for Cathay Pacific Airways. 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 293’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 conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on 293, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Since timing is quite important when it comes to individual stock picking, it's worth taking a look at what those latest analysts forecasts are. Luckily, you can check out what analysts are forecasting by clicking here.

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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.
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