Should You Think About Buying General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) Now?

Let's talk about the popular General Motors Company (NYSE:GM). The company's shares led the NYSE gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. The company is now trading at yearly-high levels following the recent surge in its share price. 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 General Motors’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

View our latest analysis for General Motors

What Is General Motors Worth?

Great news for investors – General Motors is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, we’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. we find that General Motors’s ratio of 5.09x is below its peer average of 14.31x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Auto industry. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because General Motors’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.

What kind of growth will General Motors 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. However, with a negative profit growth of -9.0% expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth certainly doesn’t appear to be a driver for a buy decision for General Motors. This certainty tips the risk-return scale towards higher risk.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Although GM is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, the adverse prospect of negative growth brings about some degree of risk. Consider whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to GM, 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 GM 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.

If you want to dive deeper into General Motors, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with General Motors (including 2 which are a bit concerning).

If you are no longer interested in General Motors, 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com