What Does Bel Fuse Inc.'s (NASDAQ:BELF.A) Share Price Indicate?
Bel Fuse Inc. (NASDAQ:BELF.A), might not be a large cap stock, but it led the NASDAQGS gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. As a small cap stock, hardly covered by any analysts, 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 Bel Fuse’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.
Check out our latest analysis for Bel Fuse
What's The Opportunity In Bel Fuse?
Great news for investors – Bel Fuse is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. 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 Bel Fuse’s ratio of 9.48x is below its peer average of 17.35x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Electronic industry. However, given that Bel Fuse’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 kind of growth will Bel Fuse generate?
Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that it’s the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Though in the case of Bel Fuse, it is expected to deliver a negative earnings growth of -6.2%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term.
What This Means For You
Are you a shareholder? Although BELF.A is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, the negative profit outlook does bring on some uncertainty, which equates to higher risk. Consider whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to BELF.A, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return.
Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on BELF.A for some time, but hesitant on making the leap, I recommend you dig deeper into the stock. Given its current price multiple, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future.
With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Bel Fuse (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant).
If you are no longer interested in Bel Fuse, 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.
