Is It Time To Consider Buying A10 Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ATEN)?

While A10 Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ATEN) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to US$15.83 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$10.70. 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 A10 Networks' current trading price of US$11.71 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at A10 Networks’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 A10 Networks

What's The Opportunity In A10 Networks?

Good news, investors! A10 Networks 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. 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 21.66x is currently well-below the industry average of 42.25x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. What’s more interesting is that, A10 Networks’s share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. 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 A10 Networks?

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. With profit expected to grow by 26% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for A10 Networks. 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 ATEN 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 ATEN 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 ATEN. 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 assessment.

If you want to dive deeper into A10 Networks, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for A10 Networks and you'll want to know about these.

If you are no longer interested in A10 Networks, 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.