At US$20.85, Is Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA) Worth Looking At Closely?

Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw a significant share price rise of 21% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. The company is now trading at yearly-high levels following the recent surge in its share price. With many analysts covering the mid-cap 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 examine Mueller Water Products’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

Check out our latest analysis for Mueller Water Products

What Is Mueller Water Products Worth?

Mueller Water Products is currently expensive based on our price multiple model, where we look at the company's price-to-earnings ratio in comparison 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 26.39x is currently well-above the industry average of 21.81x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Mueller Water Products’s share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

What kind of growth will Mueller Water Products 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 33% over the next year, the near-term future seems bright for Mueller Water Products. 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 MWA’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 MWA 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 an eye on MWA for a while, 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 optimistic prospect is encouraging for MWA, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

It can be quite valuable to consider what analysts expect for Mueller Water Products from their most recent forecasts. So feel free to check out our free graph representing analyst forecasts.

If you are no longer interested in Mueller Water Products, 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.