The Raspberry Pi share price soared 53% in 4 days! Is it too late to buy?

The Raspberry Pi share price rocketed after the company’s IPO was over-subscribed. But is there any value left in the stock?

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

Happy young plus size woman sitting at kitchen table and watching tv series on tablet computer

Image source: Getty Images

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

On Tuesday (11 June), the Raspberry Pi (LSE:RPI) share price leapt 42% after the low-cost computer manufacturer made its stock market debut and conditional trading commenced.

By the end of the week, when all trading restrictions had been removed, the company’s shares were changing hands for 427p — a 53% increase compared to its offer price of 280p.  

Over-subscribed

The company’s IPO (initial public offering) was so popular that investors were restricted to 365 shares each. It appears to me that this unmet demand is the principal reason why the share price has been driven higher.

Should you invest £1,000 in Shell right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets. And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Shell made the list?

See the 6 stocks

The float is also a good news story for the London Stock Exchange, which has seemingly struggled to attract high-quality tech companies in recent years.

In my opinion, Raspberry Pi’s success is partly due to the fact that its computers are not mainstream.

However, it’s a popular misconception that its products are primarily used to learn coding, control home devices, and play retro games. Although significant, the enthusiast and education market only accounted for 28% of unit sales in 2023.

The company’s biggest market is the industrial and embedded sector, to which it sold 72% of its computers in 2023. Varied applications include electric vehicle charging, digital signage, and sports performance tracking.

Across both markets the company claims to have shifted 60m units since 2012.

Other positives

Raspberry Pi looks like a quality company to me. And it’s growing rapidly.

During FY23, revenue increased by 41% to $265.8m, compared to FY22 ($187.9m). And earnings increased by 85% to $31.6m (FY22: $17.1m).

The company has a strong balance sheet with no debt. At the end of 2023, it had $42.2m in the bank.

It can also boast of a blue-chip shareholder base with ARM Holdings and Sony both having a stake in the business.

Market cap

But the company now has a stock market valuation of £826m.

This means its stock trades on 33.4 times its earnings for the year ended 31 December 2023 (FY23).

This sounds expensive. Although if the company is able to grow its profits in FY24, its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio will fall.

However, the best way to assess whether a stock offers value for money is to compare it to others in the same industry.

Of the competitors identified by the company, only three are listed. I’ve taken a look at their most recent annual accounts and calculated their historic P/E ratios — Adlink Technology (48.3), Advantech (28.3), and Rockwell Automation (21.5).

The average of these (32.7) suggests that Raspberry Pi’s shares are overvalued by approximately 2%. Although, if it could achieve a similar valuation to Adlink, the company’s stock appears 45% undervalued.

My verdict

Life as a listed company is very different to being privately owned. I’ve seen before how investors can sometimes get carried away with ‘toppy’ valuations.

The case of Dr. Martens springs to mind. At IPO, its shares were valued at 370p and they quickly went over 500p. After five profits warnings in just over three years, they are now changing hands for approximately 81p.

Created with Highcharts 11.4.3Dr. Martens Plc PriceZoom1M3M6MYTD1Y5Y10YALL26 Jan 20216 Apr 2025Zoom ▾Jul '21Jan '22Jul '22Jan '23Jul '23Jan '24Jul '24Jan '2520222022202320232024202420252025www.fool.co.uk

Therefore, despite being a big fan of Raspberry Pi, I don’t want to buy any of its stock at the moment. I’m going to take another look when the hype surrounding the IPO has died down.

Of course, there are plenty of other passive income opportunities to explore. And these may be even more lucrative:

We think earning passive income has never been easier

Do you like the idea of dividend income?

The prospect of investing in a company just once, then sitting back and watching as it potentially pays a dividend out over and over?

If you’re excited by the thought of regular passive income payments, as well as the potential for significant growth on your initial investment…

Then we think you’ll want to see this report inside Motley Fool Share Advisor — ‘5 Essential Stocks For Passive Income Seekers’.

What’s more, today we’re giving away one of these stock picks, absolutely free!

Get your free passive income stock pick

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.

James Beard has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. 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.

Pound coins for sale — 51 pence?

This seems ridiculous, but we almost never see shares looking this cheap. Yet this recent ‘Best Buy Now’ has a price/book ratio of 0.51. In plain English, this means that investors effectively get in on a business that holds £1 of assets for every 51p they invest!

Of course, this is the stock market where money is always at risk — these valuations can change and there are no guarantees. But some risks are a LOT more interesting than others, and at The Motley Fool we believe this company is amongst them.

What’s more, it currently boasts a stellar dividend yield of around 8.5%, and right now it’s possible for investors to jump aboard at near-historic lows. Want to get the name for yourself?

See the full investment case

More on Investing Articles

Investing Articles

Up 30% in weeks, does the BAE Systems share price still offer value?

The BAE Systems share price has been on a tear over the past couple of months. This writer sees limited…

Read more »

Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

Hunting for shares to buy as the market trembles? Remember this!

After a choppy week in global stock markets, our writer goes back to basics in his hunt for bargain shares…

Read more »

Investing Articles

3 simple principles to help build wealth in an ISA

As a new tax year opens up new ISA allowances for many investors, our writer shares a trio of things…

Read more »

Investing Articles

US trade tariffs: what they could mean for UK shares like Ashtead, Compass Group, and Experian

US trade tariffs continue to rock global markets, and the UK is no exception. Our writer considers how a new…

Read more »

Mindful young woman breathing out with closed eyes, calming down in stressful situation, working on computer in modern kitchen.
Dividend Shares

The Trump slump has smashed these FTSE 100 shares!

After a rough week for US and UK shares, investors have been shaken. But now these FTSE 100 stocks have…

Read more »

Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Rolls-Royce shares 5 years ago is now worth…

Rolls-Royce shares have been on fire since April 2020. Part of this is the result of pandemic restrictions lifting, but…

Read more »

Young Asian woman with head in hands at her desk
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Tesla stock at its peak in 2024 is now worth…

Over the last few months, Tesla stock has lost nearly half its value. Here, Edward Sheldon explores a few takeaways…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Is the S&P 500 heading for an epic stock market crash?

Our writer shares his thoughts on a very crazy time for the S&P 500 and the wider stock market. How…

Read more »