Why Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (NYSE:ARCO) Could Be Worth Watching

While Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (NYSE:ARCO) might not have the largest market cap around , it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$12.01 and falling to the lows of US$10.28. 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 Arcos Dorados Holdings' current trading price of US$10.28 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Arcos Dorados Holdings’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 Arcos Dorados Holdings

Is Arcos Dorados Holdings Still Cheap?

Good news, investors! Arcos Dorados Holdings is still a bargain right now according to our price multiple model, which compares 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 12.56x is currently well-below the industry average of 18.89x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. What’s more interesting is that, Arcos Dorados Holdings’s share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. 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.

Can we expect growth from Arcos Dorados Holdings?

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. Arcos Dorados Holdings' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 58%, 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 accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic 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 enter the stock. 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 strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed assessment.

If you want to dive deeper into Arcos Dorados Holdings, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Be aware that Arcos Dorados Holdings is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis and 1 of those is concerning...

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.