At US$52.92, Is Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ:PRGS) Worth Looking At Closely?

Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ:PRGS), is not the largest company out there, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NASDAQGS over the last few months, increasing to US$61.82 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$49.67. 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 Progress Software's current trading price of US$52.92 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 Progress Software’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for Progress Software

What Is Progress Software Worth?

Good news, investors! Progress Software is still a bargain right now according to my price multiple model, which compares 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 Progress Software’s ratio of 29.34x is below its peer average of 43.69x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Software industry. Another thing to keep in mind is that Progress Software’s share price is quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards its industry peers, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once it’s there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.

What kind of growth will Progress Software 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 40% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Progress Software. 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 PRGS is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic 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 PRGS 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 PRGS. 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.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Progress Software at this point in time. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Progress Software and we think they deserve your attention.

If you are no longer interested in Progress Software, 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.