Yahoo Finance Is There Now An Opportunity In Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT)?
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT) received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to US$340 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$301. 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 Gartner's current trading price of US$322 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 Gartner’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 Gartner
What's the opportunity in Gartner?
According to my price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and the industry average, the stock price seems to be justfied. 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 37.62x is currently trading in-line with its industry peers’ ratio, which means if you buy Gartner today, you’d be paying a relatively sensible price for it. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Gartner’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 Gartner generate?
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. 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 an extremely negative double-digit change in profit expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth is certainly not a driver of a buy decision. It seems like high uncertainty is on the cards for Gartner, at least in the near future.
What this means for you:
Are you a shareholder? IT seems priced close to industry peers right now, 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 IT, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.
Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on IT for a while, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. This 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 crystallize your views on IT should the price fluctuate below the industry PE ratio.
If you want to dive deeper into Gartner, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Gartner (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about.
If you are no longer interested in Gartner, 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.
