Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE:HUBB). The company's stock led the NYSE gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. The company is inching closer to its yearly highs following the recent share price climb. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company's outlook is already priced into the stock. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Today we will analyse the most recent data on Hubbell's outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.
What Is Hubbell Worth?
Hubbell is currently expensive based on our price multiple model, where we look at the company's price-to-earnings ratio in comparison to the industry average. We'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 27.69x is currently well-above the industry average of 20.08x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. Another thing to keep in mind is that Hubbell's share price is quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards the levels of its industry peers over time, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once it's there, it may be hard for it to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.
What does the future of Hubbell 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. With profit expected to grow by 28% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Hubbell. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.
What This Means For You
Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in HUBB's positive outlook, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe HUBB 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 an eye on HUBB for a while, 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 optimistic prospect is encouraging for HUBB, which means it's worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.
In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Hubbell and you'll want to know about these.
If you are no longer interested in Hubbell, 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.