When Should You Buy Singapore Airlines Limited (SGX:C6L)?

Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Singapore Airlines Limited (SGX:C6L). The company's stock had a relatively subdued couple of weeks in terms of changes in share price, which continued to float around the range of S$5.00 to S$5.45. However, is this the true valuation level of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Singapore Airlines’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Check out the opportunities and risks within the XX Airlines industry.

What's The Opportunity In Singapore Airlines?

Singapore Airlines is currently expensive based on my price multiple model, where I look at the company's price-to-earnings ratio in comparison to the industry average. 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 Singapore Airlines’s ratio of 42.96x is above its peer average of 8.49x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Airlines industry. Furthermore, Singapore Airlines’s share price also seems relatively stable compared to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. If you believe the share price should eventually reach levels around its industry peers, a low beta could suggest it is unlikely to rapidly do so anytime soon, and once it’s there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range.

What kind of growth will Singapore Airlines 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 grow by 36% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Singapore Airlines. 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 well and truly priced in C6L’s positive outlook, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe C6L should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. 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 tabs on C6L for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for C6L, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Singapore Airlines you should be aware of.

If you are no longer interested in Singapore Airlines, 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.