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Is NEXT plc (LON:NXT) Potentially Undervalued?

While NEXT plc (LON:NXT) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it saw a decent share price growth in the teens level on the LSE over the last few months. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at NEXT’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

Check out our latest analysis for NEXT

What's The Opportunity In NEXT?

The share price seems sensible at the moment according to my price multiple model, where I compare 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 12x is currently trading in-line with its industry peers’ ratio, which means if you buy NEXT today, you’d be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that NEXT’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 NEXT generate?

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

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. However, with a relatively muted profit growth of 1.8% expected over the next couple of years, growth doesn’t seem like a key driver for a buy decision for NEXT, at least in the short term.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? NXT’s future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around industry price multiples. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at NXT? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below the industry PE ratio?

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Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on NXT, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the positive growth outlook may mean it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing NEXT at this point in time. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for NEXT and you'll want to know about them.

If you are no longer interested in NEXT, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.

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