Is It Time To Consider Buying First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (NYSE:FCF)?

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First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (NYSE:FCF), operating in the financial services industry based in United States, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of $13.87 and falling to the lows of $12.57. 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 First Commonwealth Financial's current trading price of $13.03 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 First Commonwealth Financial’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for First Commonwealth Financial

What's the opportunity in First Commonwealth Financial?

According to my valuation model, First Commonwealth Financial seems to be fairly priced at around 16% below my intrinsic value, which means if you buy First Commonwealth Financial today, you’d be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe the company’s true value is $15.52, then there’s not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that First Commonwealth Financial’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.

What does the future of First Commonwealth Financial look like?

NYSE:FCF Past and Future Earnings, July 18th 2019
NYSE:FCF Past and Future Earnings, July 18th 2019

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. However, with a negative profit growth of -0.3% expected next year, near-term growth certainly doesn’t appear to be a driver for a buy decision for First Commonwealth Financial. This certainty tips the risk-return scale towards higher risk.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Currently, FCF appears to be trading around its fair value, but given the uncertainty from negative returns in the future, this could be the right time to de-risk your portfolio. Is your current exposure to the stock optimal for your total portfolio? And is the opportunity cost of holding a negative-outlook stock too high? Before you make a decision on the stock, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on FCF for a while, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. The stock appears to be trading at fair value, which means there’s less benefit from mispricing. Furthermore, the negative growth outlook increases the risk of holding the stock. However, there are also other important factors we haven’t considered today, which can help crystalize your views on FCF should the price fluctuate below its true value.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters – the fundamentals – before you make a decision on First Commonwealth Financial. You can find everything you need to know about First Commonwealth Financial in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in First Commonwealth Financial, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.