Is Now An Opportune Moment To Examine Mayfield Childcare Limited (ASX:MFD)?

Mayfield Childcare Limited (ASX:MFD), is not the largest company out there, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the ASX over the last few months, increasing to AU$0.81 at one point, and dropping to the lows of AU$0.66. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Mayfield Childcare's current trading price of AU$0.66 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Mayfield Childcare’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

See our latest analysis for Mayfield Childcare

What's the opportunity in Mayfield Childcare?

Great news for investors – Mayfield Childcare is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to my price multiple model, where I compare 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 Mayfield Childcare’s ratio of 6.19x is below its peer average of 13.7x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Consumer Services industry. However, given that Mayfield Childcare’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from Mayfield Childcare?

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. Mayfield Childcare’s earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 43%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Since MFD is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase 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 price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on MFD 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 MFD. 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.

In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Mayfield Childcare you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in Mayfield Childcare, 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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