Is Now The Time To Look At Buying DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA)?

DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the NYSE over the last few months. As a mid-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Today I will analyse the most recent data on DaVita’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

View our latest analysis for DaVita

Is DaVita Still Cheap?

Good news, investors! DaVita is still a bargain right now according to my price multiple model, which compares 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 10.62x is currently well-below the industry average of 21.25x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. Another thing to keep in mind is that DaVita’s share price is quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards its industry peers, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once it’s there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.

Can we expect growth from DaVita?

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. Though in the case of DaVita, it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting earnings growth of 5.3%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. Growth doesn’t appear to be a main reason for a buy decision for the company, at least in the near term.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Even though growth is relatively muted, since DVA is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on DVA for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy DVA. 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.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing DaVita at this point in time. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for DaVita (1 is potentially serious!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.

If you are no longer interested in DaVita, 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.