Yahoo Finance Is It Time To Consider Buying TheWorks.co.uk plc (LON:WRKS)?
While TheWorks.co.uk plc (LON:WRKS) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it saw a significant share price rise of over 20% in the past couple of months on the LSE. As a UK£2.1b market-cap stock, it seems odd TheWorks.co.uk is not more well-covered by analysts. Although, there is more of an opportunity for mispricing in stocks with low coverage, which can be a good thing. So, could the stock still be trading at a low price relative to its actual value? Let’s examine TheWorks.co.uk’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.
Check out our latest analysis for TheWorks.co.uk
What's The Opportunity In TheWorks.co.uk?
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. 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 TheWorks.co.uk’s ratio of 2.45x is trading slightly below its industry peers’ ratio of 6.87x, which means if you buy TheWorks.co.uk today, you’d be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that TheWorks.co.uk should be trading at this level in the long run, then there’s not much of an upside to gain over and above other industry peers. Is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since TheWorks.co.uk’s share price is quite volatile, we could potentially see it sink lower (or rise higher) in the future, giving us another chance to buy. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.
Can we expect growth from TheWorks.co.uk?
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. 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 TheWorks.co.uk, at least in the near future.
What This Means For You
Are you a shareholder? Currently, WRKS appears to be trading around industry price multiples, 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 WRKS, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.
Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on WRKS for a while, now may not be the most optimal 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 WRKS should the price fluctuate below the industry PE ratio.
Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for TheWorks.co.uk you should be mindful of and 2 of these are concerning.
If you are no longer interested in TheWorks.co.uk, 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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