At HK$266, Is It Time To Put Orient Overseas (International) Limited (HKG:316) On Your Watch List?

Orient Overseas (International) Limited (HKG:316) received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the SEHK over the last few months. 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 Orient Overseas (International)’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for Orient Overseas (International)

What's the opportunity in Orient Overseas (International)?

According to my price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and the industry average, the stock price seems to be justfied. 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 Orient Overseas (International)’s ratio of 3.14x is trading slightly below its industry peers’ ratio of 4.47x, which means if you buy Orient Overseas (International) today, you’d be paying a decent price for it. And if you believe that Orient Overseas (International) should be trading at this level in the long run, then there’s not much of an upside to gain over and above other industry peers. Is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Orient Overseas (International)’s share price is quite volatile, we could potentially see it sink lower (or rise higher) in the future, giving us another chance to buy. 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 Orient Overseas (International) look like?

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. Though in the case of Orient Overseas (International), it is expected to deliver a highly negative earnings growth in the next few years, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Currently, 316 appears to be trading around industry price multiples, but given the uncertainty from negative returns in the future, this could be the right time to reduce the risk in your portfolio. Is your current exposure to the stock optimal for your total portfolio? And is the opportunity cost of holding a negative-outlook stock too high? Before you make a decision on 316, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on 316 for a while, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. This means there’s less benefit from mispricing. In addition to this, the negative growth outlook increases the risk of holding the stock. However, there are also other important factors we haven’t considered today, which can help crystallize your views on 316 should the price fluctuate below the industry PE ratio.

If you want to dive deeper into Orient Overseas (International), you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Our analysis shows 3 warning signs for Orient Overseas (International) (1 is concerning!) and we strongly recommend you look at them before investing.

If you are no longer interested in Orient Overseas (International), 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.