Card Factory plc (LON:CARD), is not the largest company out there, but it saw a significant share price rise of over 20% in the past couple of months on the LSE. As a stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let’s examine Card Factory’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for Card Factory

Is Card Factory still cheap?

Good news, investors! Card Factory is still a bargain right now according to my price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. 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 Card Factory’s ratio of 8.96x is below its peer average of 19.4x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Specialty Retail industry. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because Card Factory’s beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the company’s shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity.

What does the future of Card Factory look like?

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. Card Factory'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? Since CARD is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic profit outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on CARD for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its buoyant future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy CARD. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed assessment.