Is the Boohoo share price a bargain below 100p?

The Boohoo share price is up 11% in the past 30 days. As it approaches the 100p mark, this Fool assesses if the stock is a bargain at the current price.

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The Boohoo (LSE: BOO) share price has been gaining momentum recently, climbing almost 12% over the past month. This positive movement seems to have restored some investor confidence in the UK fashion retailer. While this is good news, Boohoo shares are still down 21% year-to-date, and over 70% over the past 12 months. With things seemingly on the up, should I be adding this stock to my portfolio while it’s under 100p? Or should I steer clear of Boohoo? Let’s take a closer look.

Undervalued opportunity

The current Boohoo share price is 93p. At this price, the stock trades on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just under 20. This might not seem cheap, but I still think the shares may hold some great value, especially when considering the future growth of the company.

As my fellow Fool Rupert Hargreaves points out, Boohoo has seen earnings grow at an average of 46% per year for the past seven years. If we assume the firm can continue to grow at a more conservative 10% for the next 10 years, it would hypothetically report earnings per share of about 15p in 2032. Assuming this, if the stock were to achieve industry average multiples — around 13 for the online fashion retail space — it could be worth 195p. This theoretical growth seems very enticing to me.

Looking at Boohoo’s close competitor H&M, I also see value. H&M trades on of a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 1.23, which is over double the Boohoo P/S ratio of 0.6. This further backs up my thesis that Boohoo’s shares may be undervalued.

Headwinds for the Boohoo share price

Although the share price does look cheap, there are a few concerns I have moving forward. The most pressing concern is some of the workers’ rights issues that have surrounded the firm in recent years. For example, in 2020, a Guardian report highlighted workers creating Boohoo garments being paid well below minimum wage. While the firm has recently taken steps to prevent such activity, these scandals have undoubtedly left a stain on the Boohoo brand name.

Another risk that I see affecting the share price in the short-to-medium term is the threat of rising interest rates. Both the US and the UK raised their rates last week to 0.25% and 0.75% respectively. When rates rise, investors tend to dump higher-risk growth stocks such as Boohoo. As the trend towards rising rates continues, the Boohoo share price could slide further.  

What I would do now

In my opinion, the current price does look cheap to me, especially considering it’s down over 70% from a year ago. However, if there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my retail trading career, it’s that facts always trump hypotheses. While the shares might look cheap on paper, the risk of rising inflation and the branding scandals are both concrete factors. Therefore, I won’t be buying any Boohoo shares for my portfolio today.  

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Dylan Hood has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended boohoo group. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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