Should You Think About Buying NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) Now?

Let's talk about the popular NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP). The company's shares saw a decent share price growth of 20% on the NASDAQGS over the last few months. The recent rally in share prices has nudged the company in the right direction, though it still falls short of its yearly peak. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let’s examine NetApp’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

View our latest analysis for NetApp

Is NetApp Still Cheap?

According to our valuation model, NetApp seems to be fairly priced at around 17% below our intrinsic value, which means if you buy NetApp today, you’d be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe the company’s true value is $122.43, then there’s not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that NetApp’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 an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What kind of growth will NetApp 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 21% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for NetApp. 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? NTAP’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on NTAP, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Diving deeper into the forecasts for NetApp mentioned earlier will help you understand how analysts view the stock going forward. So feel free to check out our free graph representing analyst forecasts.

If you are no longer interested in NetApp, 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.