At €6.79, Is Leonardo S.p.a. (BIT:LDO) Worth Looking At Closely?

While Leonardo S.p.a. (BIT:LDO) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it saw a decent share price growth in the teens level on the BIT over the last few months. As a mid-cap 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 Leonardo’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

View our latest analysis for Leonardo

What is Leonardo worth?

Good news, investors! Leonardo 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 11.72x is currently well-below the industry average of 21.64x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. However, given that Leonardo’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 kind of growth will Leonardo generate?

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. With profit expected to more than double over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Leonardo. 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 LDO is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With a positive 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 LDO for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its prosperous future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy LDO. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed assessment.

Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 3 warning signs with Leonardo, and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

If you are no longer interested in Leonardo, 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.