Ascential plc (LON:ASCL), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the LSE over the last few months. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Today I will analyse the most recent data on Ascential’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

See our latest analysis for Ascential

What's the opportunity in Ascential?

Good news, investors! Ascential is still a bargain right now. My valuation model shows that the intrinsic value for the stock is £5.60, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. What’s more interesting is that, Ascential’s share price is theoretically quite stable, which could mean two things: firstly, it may take the share price a while to move to its intrinsic value, and secondly, there may be less chances to buy low in the future once it reaches that value. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta.

What does the future of Ascential 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. 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. In Ascential's case, its revenues over the next few years are expected to grow by 81%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. If expense does not increase by the same rate, or higher, this top line growth should lead to stronger cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Since ASCL is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic 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 undervaluation.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on ASCL for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its prosperous future outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy ASCL. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed investment decision.

It can be quite valuable to consider what analysts expect for Ascential from their most recent forecasts. Luckily, you can check out what analysts are forecasting by clicking here.

If you are no longer interested in Ascential, 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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