Yahoo Finance At UK£1.90, Is Wilmington plc (LON:WIL) Worth Looking At Closely?
While Wilmington plc (LON:WIL) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the LSE over the last few months. Less-covered, small caps tend to present more of an opportunity for mispricing due to the lack of information available to the public, which can be a good thing. So, could the stock still be trading at a low price relative to its actual value? Today I will analyse the most recent data on Wilmington’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.
Check out our latest analysis for Wilmington
Is Wilmington still cheap?
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. 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 Wilmington’s ratio of 27.95x is trading slightly below its industry peers’ ratio of 32.27x, which means if you buy Wilmington today, you’d be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe Wilmington should be trading in this range, then there isn’t much room for the share price to grow beyond the levels of other industry peers over the long-term. Although, there may be an opportunity to buy in the future. This is because Wilmington’s beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the company’s shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity.
What does the future of Wilmington look like?
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 Wilmington, it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting top-line growth of 2.6% over the next year, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. Growth doesn’t appear to be a main reason for a buy decision for the company, at least in the near term.
What this means for you:
Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has already priced in WIL’s growth outlook, 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 WIL? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below the industry PE ratio?
Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on WIL, now may not be the most optimal 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.
If you want to dive deeper into Wilmington, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Wilmington, and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
If you are no longer interested in Wilmington, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.
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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