Yahoo Finance When Should You Buy Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE:LH)?
Let's talk about the popular Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE:LH). The company's shares saw a decent share price growth in the teens level on the NYSE over the last few months. With many analysts covering the large-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let’s examine Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.
Check out our latest analysis for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings
What's The Opportunity In Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings?
Great news for investors – Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings is still trading at a fairly cheap price. According to my valuation, the intrinsic value for the stock is $317.13, 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, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings’s share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. 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.
Can we expect growth from Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings?
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. However, with a negative profit growth of -14% expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth certainly doesn’t appear to be a driver for a buy decision for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings. This certainty tips the risk-return scale towards higher risk.
What This Means For You
Are you a shareholder? Although LH is currently undervalued, the negative outlook does bring on some uncertainty, which equates to higher risk. Consider whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to LH, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return.
Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on LH for a while, but hesitant on making the leap, I recommend you research further into the stock. Given its current undervaluation, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future.
So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings at this point in time. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about.
If you are no longer interested in Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, 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.
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