Is It Too Late To Consider Buying ACI Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACIW)?

ACI Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACIW), is not the largest company out there, but it led the NASDAQGS gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. 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. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let’s examine ACI Worldwide’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for ACI Worldwide

What is ACI Worldwide worth?

Great news for investors – ACI Worldwide 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. 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 ACI Worldwide’s ratio of 30.87x is below its peer average of 38.21x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Software industry. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because ACI Worldwide’s beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the company’s shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity.

What kind of growth will ACI Worldwide 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. With profit expected to grow by 38% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for ACI Worldwide. 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 ACIW is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With a positive profit 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 ACIW for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its prosperous future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy ACIW. 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 assessment.

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. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for ACI Worldwide and we think they deserve your attention.

If you are no longer interested in ACI Worldwide, 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.