Meitu, Inc. (HKG:1357), is not the largest company out there, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the SEHK over the last few months. As a small cap stock, which tends to lack high analyst coverage, there is generally more of an opportunity for mispricing as there is less activity to push the stock closer to fair value. Is there still an opportunity here to buy? Let's examine Meitu's valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there's still a bargain opportunity.

Check out our latest analysis for Meitu

What Is Meitu Worth?

According to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average, the stock currently looks expensive. 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 Meitu's ratio of 24.38x is above its peer average of 8.47x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Interactive Media and Services industry. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Given that Meitu'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 another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What does the future of Meitu look like?

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. Meitu's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 26%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? 1357's optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. However, this brings up another question – is now the right time to sell? If you believe 1357 should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping tabs on 1357 for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for 1357, which means it's worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you'd like to know more about Meitu as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that Meitu has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

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

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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.