At US$60.31, Is PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) Worth Looking At Closely?

PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT), which is in the consumer retailing business, and is based in United States, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NASDAQGS, rising to highs of $66.29 and falling to the lows of $55.78. 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 PriceSmart's current trading price of $60.31 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 PriceSmart’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Check out our latest analysis for PriceSmart

What is PriceSmart worth?

According to my relative valuation model, the stock is currently overvalued. 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 27.68x is currently well-above the industry average of 18.38x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. In addition to this, it seems like PriceSmart’s share price is quite stable, which could mean two things: firstly, it may take the share price a while to fall back down to an attractive buying range, and secondly, there may be less chances to buy low in the future once it reaches that value. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta.

What does the future of PriceSmart look like?

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. 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 42% over the next year, the near-term future seems bright for PriceSmart. 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 PSMT’s positive outlook, with shares trading above its fair value. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe PSMT should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value 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 PSMT 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 optimistic prospect is encouraging for PSMT, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters – the fundamentals – before you make a decision on PriceSmart. You can find everything you need to know about PriceSmart in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in PriceSmart, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.