When Should You Buy Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD)?

Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw a decent share price growth of 11% on the NASDAQGS over the last few months. While good news for shareholders, the company has traded much higher in the past year. 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. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Let’s take a look at Ziff Davis’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

See our latest analysis for Ziff Davis

What's The Opportunity In Ziff Davis?

Ziff Davis appears to be expensive according to our price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and 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 61.1x is currently well-above the industry average of 25.51x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Ziff Davis’s share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. 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 Ziff Davis look like?

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. Ziff Davis' earnings over the next few years are expected to double, indicating a very optimistic future ahead. This should lead to stronger cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? ZD’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe ZD should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on ZD for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for ZD, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you'd like to know more about Ziff Davis as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that Ziff Davis has 3 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore these.

If you are no longer interested in Ziff Davis, 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.