Is It Too Late To Consider Buying F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV)?
Today we're going to take a look at the well-established F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV). The company's stock saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NASDAQGS, rising to highs of US$215 and falling to the lows of US$175. 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 F5 Networks' current trading price of US$184 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 F5 Networks’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 F5 Networks
What is F5 Networks worth?
According to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average, the stock currently looks expensive. 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 F5 Networks’s ratio of 40.36x is above its peer average of 33.84x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Communications industry. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Given that F5 Networks’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 F5 Networks 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. With profit expected to grow by 59% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for F5 Networks. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.
What this means for you:
Are you a shareholder? FFIV’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe FFIV 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 an eye on FFIV for a while, 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 optimistic prospect is encouraging for FFIV, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.
Diving deeper into the forecasts for F5 Networks mentioned earlier will help you understand how analysts view the stock going forward. So feel free to check out our free graph representing analyst forecasts.
If you are no longer interested in F5 Networks, 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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