What Is Caterpillar Inc.'s (NYSE:CAT) Share Price Doing?
Let's talk about the popular Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT). The company's shares received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to US$245 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$203. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Caterpillar's current trading price of US$209 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Caterpillar’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.
Check out our latest analysis for Caterpillar
Is Caterpillar still cheap?
According to my valuation model, the stock is currently overvalued by about 21%, trading at US$209 compared to my intrinsic value of $172.86. Not the best news for investors looking to buy! In addition to this, it seems like Caterpillar’s share price is quite stable, which could mean two things: firstly, it may take the share price a while to fall back down to an attractive buying range, and secondly, there may be less chances to buy low in the future once it reaches that value. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta.
What kind of growth will Caterpillar generate?
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. Caterpillar's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 54%, 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? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in CAT’s positive outlook, with shares trading above its fair value. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe CAT should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value 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 CAT for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its true value, which means there’s no upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for CAT, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.
So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Caterpillar and you'll want to know about this.
If you are no longer interested in Caterpillar, 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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