Should You Think About Buying Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS) Now?

Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to US$27.25 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$19.59. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Kohl's' current trading price of US$19.59 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Kohl's’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Check out our latest analysis for Kohl's

Is Kohl's Still Cheap?

Great news for investors – Kohl's is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to 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 7.89x is currently well-below the industry average of 15.99x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. However, given that Kohl's’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 Kohl's?

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. However, with a relatively muted profit growth of 7.1% expected over the next couple of years, growth doesn’t seem like a key driver for a buy decision for Kohl's, at least in the short term.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Even though growth is relatively muted, since KSS 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 KSS for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy KSS. 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 if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Kohl's (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be familiar with.

If you are no longer interested in Kohl's, 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com