Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (LON:RR.). The company's stock saw a significant share price rise of 32% in the past couple of months on the LSE. The recent jump in the share price has meant that the company is trading at close to its 52-week high. 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. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Today we will analyse the most recent data on Rolls-Royce Holdings’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.
Check out our latest analysis for Rolls-Royce Holdings
The share price seems sensible at the moment according to our price multiple model, where we compare 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 Rolls-Royce Holdings’s ratio of 20.62x is trading slightly above its industry peers’ ratio of 18.99x, which means if you buy Rolls-Royce Holdings today, you’d be paying a relatively sensible price for it. And if you believe that Rolls-Royce Holdings should be trading at this level in the long run, then there should only be a fairly immaterial downside vs other industry peers. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Rolls-Royce Holdings’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 an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.
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. However, with a negative profit growth of -18% expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth certainly doesn’t appear to be a driver for a buy decision for Rolls-Royce Holdings. This certainty tips the risk-return scale towards higher risk.
Are you a shareholder? Currently, RR. 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 reduce the risk in your portfolio. Is your current exposure to the stock beneficial for your total portfolio? And is the opportunity cost of holding a negative-outlook stock too high? Before you make a decision on RR., take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.
Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on RR. for a while, now may not be the most advantageous 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 RR. 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Rolls-Royce Holdings (of which 2 are significant!) you should know about.
If you are no longer interested in Rolls-Royce Holdings, 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.