Is Now The Time To Look At Buying Mayfield Childcare Limited (ASX:MFD)?

Mayfield Childcare Limited (ASX:MFD), might not be a large cap stock, 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 is Mayfield Childcare worth?

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. I’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 6.19x is currently well-below the industry average of 13.7x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because Mayfield Childcare’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 does the future of Mayfield Childcare look like?

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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. 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 accumulate more of 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 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 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 assessment.

So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. For example - Mayfield Childcare has 4 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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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