At US$219, Is ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) Worth Looking At Closely?

Let's talk about the popular ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR). The company's shares saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the NASDAQGS. The recent rally in share prices has nudged the company in the right direction, though it still falls short of its yearly peak. As a large-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? Let’s examine ICON’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

Check out our latest analysis for ICON

What Is ICON Worth?

Good news, investors! ICON 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. In this instance, we’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. we find that ICON’s ratio of 24.2x is below its peer average of 44.76x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Life Sciences industry. However, given that ICON’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from ICON?

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. With profit expected to grow by 52% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for ICON. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Since ICLR 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 ICLR for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its prosperous future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy ICLR. 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 investment decision.

It can be quite valuable to consider what analysts expect for ICON from their most recent forecasts. Luckily, you can check out what analysts are forecasting by clicking here.

If you are no longer interested in ICON, 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.