Why Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) Could Be Worth Watching

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw a decent share price growth in the teens level on the NASDAQGS over the last few months. 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. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let’s examine Axcelis Technologies’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for Axcelis Technologies

What is Axcelis Technologies worth?

Great news for investors – Axcelis Technologies 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 Axcelis Technologies’s ratio of 24.37x is below its peer average of 36.5x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Semiconductor industry. What’s more interesting is that, Axcelis Technologies’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.

What kind of growth will Axcelis Technologies generate?

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. Axcelis Technologies’s earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 87%, 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 ACLS is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With a positive 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 financial health to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on ACLS for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its buoyant future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy ACLS. 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 assessment.

With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Axcelis Technologies and you'll want to know about them.

If you are no longer interested in Axcelis Technologies, 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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