Should You Think About Buying Airtel Africa Plc (LON:AAF) Now?

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While Airtel Africa Plc (LON:AAF) might not have the largest market cap around , it saw a decent share price growth of 14% on the LSE over the last few months. Shareholders may appreciate the recent price jump, but the company still has a way to go before reaching its yearly highs again. As a mid-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Today we will analyse the most recent data on Airtel Africa’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

View our latest analysis for Airtel Africa

What's The Opportunity In Airtel Africa?

According to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average, the stock currently looks expensive. In this instance, we’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. We find that Airtel Africa’s ratio of 36.52x is above its peer average of 19.17x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Wireless Telecom industry. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Since Airtel Africa’s share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

What kind of growth will Airtel Africa generate?

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LSE:AAF Earnings and Revenue Growth April 7th 2024

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. 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. Airtel Africa'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? AAF’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 AAF 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.