Is Ciena Corporation (NYSE:CIEN) Potentially Undervalued?

Ciena Corporation (NYSE:CIEN), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw a decent share price growth in the teens level on the NYSE over the last few months. As a mid-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 take a look at Ciena’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

View our latest analysis for Ciena

Is Ciena still cheap?

According to my valuation model, Ciena seems to be fairly priced at around 11% below my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Ciena today, you’d be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $63.17, then there isn’t much room for the share price grow beyond what it’s currently trading. In addition to this, Ciena has a low beta, which suggests its share price is less volatile than the wider market.

Can we expect growth from Ciena?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. 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. Though in the case of Ciena, it is expected to deliver a negative earnings growth of -15%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Currently, CIEN appears to be trading around its fair value, but given the uncertainty from negative returns in the future, this could be the right time to de-risk your portfolio. Is your current exposure to the stock optimal for your total portfolio? And is the opportunity cost of holding a negative-outlook stock too high? Before you make a decision on the stock, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on CIEN for a while, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. The stock appears to be trading at fair value, which means there’s less benefit from mispricing. In addition to this, the negative growth outlook increases the risk of holding the stock. However, there are also other important factors we haven’t considered today, which can help crystalize your views on CIEN should the price fluctuate below its true value.

Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. While conducting our analysis, we found that Ciena has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore this.

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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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