Yahoo Finance Is It Too Late To Consider Buying Hapag-Lloyd Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:HLAG)?
Let's talk about the popular Hapag-Lloyd Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:HLAG). The company's shares led the XTRA gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. The recent rally in share prices has nudged the company in the right direction, though it still falls short of its yearly peak. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Let’s examine Hapag-Lloyd’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.
Check out our latest analysis for Hapag-Lloyd
Is Hapag-Lloyd Still Cheap?
Hapag-Lloyd 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 22.85x is currently well-above the industry average of 7.22x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Hapag-Lloyd’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 does the future of Hapag-Lloyd look like?
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. However, with an extremely negative double-digit change in profit expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth is certainly not a driver of a buy decision. It seems like high uncertainty is on the cards for Hapag-Lloyd, at least in the near future.
What This Means For You
Are you a shareholder? If you believe HLAG is currently trading above its peers, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. Given the uncertainty from negative growth in the future, this could be the right time to de-risk your portfolio. 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 HLAG for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has climbed past its industry peers, in addition to a risky future outlook. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Should the price fall in the future, will you be well-informed enough to buy?
With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for Hapag-Lloyd you should be mindful of and 2 of them shouldn't be ignored.
If you are no longer interested in Hapag-Lloyd, 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
