Moog Inc. (NYSE:MOG.A), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw a decent share price growth of 17% on the NYSE over the last few months. The company's trading levels have approached the yearly peak, following the recent bounce in the share price. As a US$5.7b market cap stock, it seems odd Moog 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 take a look at Moog's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

What Is Moog Worth?

The share price seems sensible at the moment according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. We've used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because there's not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stock's ratio of 30.05x is currently trading slightly below its industry peers' ratio of 35.53x, which means if you buy Moog today, you'd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that Moog should be trading at this level in the long run, then there's not much of an upside to gain over and above other industry peers. Although, there may be an opportunity to buy in the future. This is because Moog's beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the company's shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity.

What kind of growth will Moog generate?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. 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. Moog's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 51%, 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? It seems like the market has already priced in MOG.A's positive outlook, with shares trading around industry price multiples. However, there are also other important factors which we haven't considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at MOG.A? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuate below the industry PE ratio?

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on MOG.A, 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 MOG.A, which means it's worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Moog and we think they deserve your attention.

If you are no longer interested in Moog, 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com