Is Now An Opportune Moment To Examine Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (NYSE:ARCO)?

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (NYSE:ARCO), is not the largest company out there, but it saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. Shareholders may appreciate the recent price jump, but the company still has a way to go before reaching its yearly highs again. With many analysts covering the stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Let’s examine Arcos Dorados Holdings’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

View our latest analysis for Arcos Dorados Holdings

Is Arcos Dorados Holdings Still Cheap?

Great news for investors – Arcos Dorados Holdings is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio 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 11.72x is currently well-below the industry average of 24.87x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. However, given that Arcos Dorados Holdings’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 another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from Arcos Dorados Holdings?

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. Arcos Dorados Holdings' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 36%, 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? Since ARCO is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With a positive 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 financial health to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on ARCO 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 ARCO. 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 investment decision.

Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. For example, Arcos Dorados Holdings has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in Arcos Dorados Holdings, 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.