Why La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE:LZB) Could Be Worth Watching

La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE:LZB), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to US$38.91 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$34.48. 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 La-Z-Boy's current trading price of US$36.00 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at La-Z-Boy’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 La-Z-Boy

Is La-Z-Boy Still Cheap?

According to our valuation model, La-Z-Boy seems to be fairly priced at around 19% below our intrinsic value, which means if you buy La-Z-Boy today, you’d be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $44.31, then there’s not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. Is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since La-Z-Boy’s share price is quite volatile, we could potentially see it sink lower (or rise higher) in the future, giving us another chance to buy. 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 La-Z-Boy generate?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. 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 a double-digit 13% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for La-Z-Boy. 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 already priced in LZB’s positive outlook, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on LZB, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing La-Z-Boy at this point in time. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with La-Z-Boy, and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

If you are no longer interested in La-Z-Boy, 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.