China Science Publishing & Media Ltd. (SHSE:601858), is not the largest company out there, but it saw a decent share price growth in the teens level on the SHSE over the last few months. As a CN¥22b market cap stock, it seems odd China Science Publishing & Media is not more well-covered by analysts. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing given that there are less eyes on the stock to push it closer to fair value. Is there still an opportunity to buy? Let's examine China Science Publishing & Media's valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there's still a bargain opportunity.

View our latest analysis for China Science Publishing & Media

Is China Science Publishing & Media Still Cheap?

The share price seems sensible at the moment 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 China Science Publishing & Media's ratio of 45.49x is trading in-line with its industry peers' ratio, which means if you buy China Science Publishing & Media today, you'd be paying a relatively sensible price for it. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that China Science Publishing & Media'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 an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from China Science Publishing & Media?

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. With profit expected to grow by a double-digit 19% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for China Science Publishing & Media. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? 601858's optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around industry price multiples. However, there are also other important factors which we haven't considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at 601858? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below the industry PE ratio?

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping tabs on 601858, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the optimistic forecast is encouraging for 601858, which means it's worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing China Science Publishing & Media at this point in time. Be aware that China Science Publishing & Media is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis and 1 of those shouldn't be ignored...

If you are no longer interested in China Science Publishing & Media, 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.