Is Now An Opportune Moment To Examine Spire Healthcare Group plc (LON:SPI)?

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While Spire Healthcare Group plc (LON:SPI) might not have the largest market cap around , it had a relatively subdued couple of weeks in terms of changes in share price, which continued to float around the range of UK£2.21 to UK£2.43. However, is this the true valuation level of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Spire Healthcare Group’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 Spire Healthcare Group

Is Spire Healthcare Group Still Cheap?

Spire Healthcare Group appears to be expensive according to our price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and 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 45.39x is currently well-above the industry average of 17.65x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. In addition to this, it seems like Spire Healthcare Group’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 Spire Healthcare Group generate?

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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. Spire Healthcare Group's earnings over the next few years are expected to double, indicating a very optimistic future ahead. This should lead to stronger 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 SPI’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 SPI 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 tabs on SPI for some time, 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 positive outlook is encouraging for SPI, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Spire Healthcare Group you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in Spire Healthcare Group, 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.

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