When Should You Buy US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECOL)?

Simply Wall St
·3 min read

While US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECOL) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it led the NASDAQGS gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. 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 US Ecology’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for US Ecology

Is US Ecology still cheap?

Great news for investors – US Ecology is still trading at a fairly cheap price. According to my valuation, the intrinsic value for the stock is $63.49, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because US Ecology’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 US Ecology generate?

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

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. With revenues expected to grow by a double-digit 20% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for US Ecology. If the level of expenses is able to be maintained, 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? Since ECOL is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With a positive 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 undervaluation.

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

If you want to dive deeper into US Ecology, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for US Ecology and we think they deserve your attention.

If you are no longer interested in US Ecology, 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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