What Is CDW Corporation's (NASDAQ:CDW) Share Price Doing?

Today we're going to take a look at the well-established CDW Corporation (NASDAQ:CDW). The company's stock received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NASDAQGS over the last few months, increasing to US$184 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$163. 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 CDW's current trading price of US$174 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 CDW’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 CDW

What's the opportunity in CDW?

CDW 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 CDW’s ratio of 29.07x is above its peer average of 23.83x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Electronic industry. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Given that CDW’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.

What does the future of CDW look like?

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. CDW's earnings growth are expected to be in the teens in the upcoming years, indicating a solid future ahead. This should lead to robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in CDW’s positive outlook, with shares trading above industry price multiples. However, this brings up another question – is now the right time to sell? If you believe CDW 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 tabs on CDW for some time, 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 optimistic prospect is encouraging for CDW, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you'd like to know more about CDW as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of CDW.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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