Is VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSN) Potentially Undervalued?

VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSN) received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NASDAQGS over the last few months, increasing to US$229 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$204. 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 VeriSign's current trading price of US$223 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at VeriSign’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

See our latest analysis for VeriSign

Is VeriSign Still Cheap?

VeriSign is currently expensive based on my price multiple model, where I look at the company's price-to-earnings ratio in comparison 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 VeriSign’s ratio of 33.39x is above its peer average of 23.67x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the IT industry. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since VeriSign’s share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

Can we expect growth from VeriSign?

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. With profit expected to grow by 29% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for VeriSign. 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? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in VRSN’s positive outlook, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe VRSN 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 VRSN 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 positive outlook is encouraging for VRSN, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you want to dive deeper into VeriSign, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for VeriSign you should be mindful of and 1 of these makes us a bit uncomfortable.

If you are no longer interested in VeriSign, 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.