Plexus (PLXS) Stock After Strong Earnings Update Is The Valuation Getting Ahead Of Itself

What Plexus’s latest earnings and credit move could mean for the stock

Plexus (PLXS) has been on investors’ radar after reporting first quarter revenue of $1.16b, an 18.7% year over year increase, along with next quarter guidance that exceeded market expectations.

In addition to that earnings momentum, the company recently entered a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement that provides a revolving credit facility of up to $500 million, with potential expansion to $750 million.

See our latest analysis for Plexus.

The strong first quarter update and upbeat guidance have coincided with building momentum in Plexus’s stock, with a 14.16% 1 month share price return and a 93.80% year to date share price return. The 1 year total shareholder return stands at 126.56%.

If Plexus’s recent move has you looking for what else is gaining attention in related areas, you may want to check out 33 robotics and automation stocks for more automation focused opportunities.

After a 1 year total shareholder return of 126.56% and a share price that sits above the average analyst target, the key question now is whether Plexus still offers value or if the market is already pricing in future growth.

Most Popular Narrative: 5.1% Overvalued

Plexus’s most followed narrative pegs fair value at $280.75, slightly below the last close of $295.02, which raises questions about how optimistic the current pricing is.

The company's increasing success in winning programs in high-margin, complex sectors such as healthcare/life sciences, aerospace, and defense (including strong defense pipeline in Europe and record sector wins), is shifting the revenue mix toward segments with higher pricing power and more stable, long-term contracts. This should positively impact both revenue consistency and net margin expansion.

Read the complete narrative.

Want to see what earnings path and margin profile need to line up with that valuation? The narrative leans heavily on multi year revenue growth and a premium future earnings multiple.

On these assumptions, the fair value framework rests on revenue growth that outpaces Plexus’s recent 5 year earnings trend, gentle margin improvement, and a future P/E that remains elevated compared to broader electronic peers. All of this is discounted back using an 8.94% rate, which sets a relatively firm hurdle for those long term cash flows to clear.

Result: Fair Value of $280.75 (OVERVALUED)

Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts.

However, there is still execution risk if program ramp ups or new facilities weigh on margins, or if customer specific demand pushouts disrupt the expected earnings path.

Find out about the key risks to this Plexus narrative.

Next Steps

The mix of optimism and concern in this story is clear, so do not sit on the fence. Weigh the upside and downside in 2 key rewards and 1 important warning sign

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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.

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