Is Now The Time To Look At Buying Elkem ASA (OB:ELK)?

While Elkem ASA (OB:ELK) might not have the largest market cap around , it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the OB over the last few months. The company is now trading at yearly-high levels following the recent surge in its share price. With many analysts covering the stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let’s take a look at Elkem’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

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What Is Elkem Worth?

Good news, investors! Elkem is still a bargain right now according to our price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. We’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 7.41x is currently well-below the industry average of 18.84x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because Elkem’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.

View our latest analysis for Elkem

What kind of growth will Elkem 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. Though in the case of Elkem, 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? Although ELK is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, the adverse prospect of negative growth brings about some degree of risk. We recommend you think about whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to ELK, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on ELK for a while, but hesitant on making the leap, we recommend you dig deeper into the stock. Given its current price multiple, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future.

In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Elkem (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant).

If you are no longer interested in Elkem, 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.