Is There Now An Opportunity In Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR)?

Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR), 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$118 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$106. 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 Ingredion's current trading price of US$115 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 Ingredion’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 Ingredion

Is Ingredion Still Cheap?

Great news for investors – Ingredion 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 11.76x is currently well-below the industry average of 15.04x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. Ingredion’s share price also seems relatively stable compared to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. If you believe the share price should eventually reach its industry peers, a low beta could suggest it is unlikely to rapidly do so anytime soon, and once it’s there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range.

Can we expect growth from Ingredion?

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. Though in the case of Ingredion, it is expected to deliver a negative earnings growth of -2.2%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Although INGR is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, the adverse prospect of negative growth brings about some degree of risk. We recommend you think about whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to INGR, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on INGR for a while, but hesitant on making the leap, we recommend you research further into the stock. Given its current price multiple, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future.

If you want to dive deeper into Ingredion, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Ingredion.

If you are no longer interested in Ingredion, 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.