Is It Too Late To Consider Buying Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN)?

Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN). The company's stock led the NASDAQGS gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. 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. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Today I will analyse the most recent data on Illumina’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

View our latest analysis for Illumina

Is Illumina Still Cheap?

Illumina appears to be expensive according to my price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and 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 Illumina’s ratio of 50.15x is above its peer average of 33.64x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Life Sciences industry. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Given that Illumina’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.

What kind of growth will Illumina generate?

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. Illumina's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 43%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in ILMN’s positive outlook, with shares trading above industry price multiples. However, this brings up another question – is now the right time to sell? If you believe ILMN 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 ILMN 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 ILMN, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Illumina.

If you are no longer interested in Illumina, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

What are the risks and opportunities for Illumina?

NasdaqGS:ILMN

Illumina

Illumina, Inc. provides sequencing and array-based solutions for genetic and genomic analysis.Show more

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Rewards

• Trading at 2.9% below our estimate of its fair value

• Earnings are forecast to grow 62.83% per year

Risks

No risks detected for ILMN from our risks checks.

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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.