What Does PACCAR Inc's (NASDAQ:PCAR) Share Price Indicate?

Let's talk about the popular PACCAR Inc (NASDAQ:PCAR). The company's shares received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NASDAQGS over the last few months, increasing to US$94.78 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$79.08. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether PACCAR's current trading price of US$85.14 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at PACCAR’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for PACCAR

Is PACCAR Still Cheap?

Great news for investors – PACCAR is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to my price multiple model, where I compare 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 13.42x is currently well-below the industry average of 19.08x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. Another thing to keep in mind is that PACCAR’s share price is quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards its industry peers, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once it’s there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.

Can we expect growth from PACCAR?

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. With profit expected to grow by 28% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for PACCAR. 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 PCAR is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic 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 capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on PCAR for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its buoyant future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy PCAR. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed assessment.

If you want to dive deeper into PACCAR, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for PACCAR you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in PACCAR, 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.