Is Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:ACEL) Potentially Undervalued?

While Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:ACEL) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$12.11 and falling to the lows of US$7.78. 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 Accel Entertainment's current trading price of US$8.45 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 Accel Entertainment’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

See our latest analysis for Accel Entertainment

What Is Accel Entertainment Worth?

The share price seems sensible at the moment 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 13.63x is currently trading slightly below its industry peers’ ratio of 16.78x, which means if you buy Accel Entertainment today, you’d be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe Accel Entertainment should be trading in this range, then there isn’t much room for the share price to grow beyond the levels of other industry peers over the long-term. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Accel Entertainment’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from Accel Entertainment?

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. Accel Entertainment's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 38%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? ACEL’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around industry price multiples. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at ACEL? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuate below the industry PE ratio?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on ACEL, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the optimistic forecast is encouraging for ACEL, which means it’s worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Accel Entertainment and you'll want to know about this.

If you are no longer interested in Accel Entertainment, 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.