Is It Too Late To Consider Buying Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB)?

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the NASDAQGS over the last few months. Less-covered, small caps tend to present more of an opportunity for mispricing due to the lack of information available to the public, which can be a good thing. So, could the stock still be trading at a low price relative to its actual value? Let’s examine Photronics’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

Check out our latest analysis for Photronics

Is Photronics Still Cheap?

Great news for investors – Photronics 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. I’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 11.79x is currently well-below the industry average of 24.94x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. However, given that Photronics’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 Photronics?

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. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let’s also take a look at the company's future expectations. Though in the case of Photronics, it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting earnings growth of 5.7%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. Growth doesn’t appear to be a main reason for a buy decision for Photronics, at least in the near term.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Even though growth is relatively muted, since PLAB 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 PLAB 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 PLAB. 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.

Since timing is quite important when it comes to individual stock picking, it's worth taking a look at what those latest analysts forecasts are. At Simply Wall St, we have the analysts estimates which you can view by clicking here.

If you are no longer interested in Photronics, 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.