While H&E Equipment Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:HEES) might not have the largest market cap around , it saw a significant share price rise of 36% in the past couple of months on the NASDAQGS. The recent jump in the share price has meant that the company is trading at close to its 52-week high. As a mid-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company's outlook is already priced into the stock. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let's take a look at H&E Equipment Services's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.
Is H&E Equipment Services Still Cheap?
Good news, investors! H&E Equipment Services is still a bargain right now according to our price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, we've used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock's cash flows. we find that H&E Equipment Services's ratio of 12.29x is below its peer average of 16.91x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Trade Distributors industry. What's more interesting is that, H&E Equipment Services's share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. 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.
What does the future of H&E Equipment Services 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 H&E Equipment Services, it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting earnings growth of 5.9%, 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? Even though growth is relatively muted, since HEES is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.
Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on HEES for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its future profit outlook isn't fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it's not too late to buy HEES. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed investment decision.
With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. For example, H&E Equipment Services has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think you should know about.
If you are no longer interested in H&E Equipment Services, 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.