Is It Time To Consider Buying HNI Corporation (NYSE:HNI)?

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HNI Corporation (NYSE:HNI), is not the largest company out there, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the NYSE over the last few months. As a small cap stock, which tends to lack high analyst coverage, 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 HNI’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

View our latest analysis for HNI

Is HNI still cheap?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my valuation model. It’s trading around 17.58% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy HNI today, you’d be paying a relatively fair price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $25.90, there’s only an insignificant downside when the price falls to its real value. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that HNI’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.

What kind of growth will HNI generate?

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

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. 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. However, with an extremely negative double-digit change in profit expected next year, near-term growth is certainly not a driver of a buy decision. It seems like high uncertainty is on the cards for HNI, at least in the near future.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Currently, HNI appears to be trading around its fair value, 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 the stock, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on HNI for a while, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. The stock appears to be trading at fair value, which 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 gel your views on HNI should the price fluctuate below its true value.

So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. Be aware that HNI is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis and 1 of those is potentially serious...

If you are no longer interested in HNI, 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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