Is Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE:WLK) Potentially Undervalued?

Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE:WLK) saw a decent share price growth in the teens level on the NYSE over the last few months. With many analysts covering the large-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Today I will analyse the most recent data on Westlake Chemical’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

See our latest analysis for Westlake Chemical

What is Westlake Chemical worth?

Great news for investors – Westlake Chemical is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, I’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. I find that Westlake Chemical’s ratio of 8x is below its peer average of 21.46x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Chemicals industry. What’s more interesting is that, Westlake Chemical’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.

What does the future of Westlake Chemical look like?

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. Though in the case of Westlake Chemical, it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting earnings growth of 9.4%, 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 WLK is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase 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 WLK 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 WLK. 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.

Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs (1 is significant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Westlake Chemical.

If you are no longer interested in Westlake Chemical, 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.