Earnings Beat: Badger Meter, Inc. Just Beat Analyst Forecasts, And Analysts Have Been Updating Their Models
Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) just released its latest quarterly results and things are looking bullish. Badger Meter delivered a significant beat to revenue and earnings per share (EPS) expectations, with sales hitting US$114m, some 12% above indicated. Statutory EPS were US$0.51, an impressive 34% ahead of forecasts. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results.
View our latest analysis for Badger Meter
After the latest results, the five analysts covering Badger Meter are now predicting revenues of US$432.9m in 2021. If met, this would reflect a reasonable 2.9% improvement in sales compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to accumulate 5.2% to US$1.76. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$418.1m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$1.66 in 2021. It looks like there's been a modest increase in sentiment following the latest results, withthe analysts becoming a bit more optimistic in their predictions for both revenues and earnings.
With these upgrades, we're not surprised to see that the analysts have lifted their price target 14% to US$69.75per share. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Badger Meter at US$78.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$55.00. There are definitely some different views on the stock, but the range of estimates is not wide enough as to imply that the situation is unforecastable, in our view.
Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. We can infer from the latest estimates that forecasts expect a continuation of Badger Meter'shistorical trends, as next year's 2.9% revenue growth is roughly in line with 2.4% annual revenue growth over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to see their revenues grow 7.9% per year. So although Badger Meter is expected to maintain its revenue growth rate, it's forecast to grow slower than the wider industry.
The Bottom Line
The most important thing here is that the analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, suggesting that there has been a clear increase in optimism towards Badger Meter following these results. They also upgraded their revenue estimates for next year, even though sales are expected to grow slower than the wider industry. There was also a nice increase in the price target, with the analysts clearly feeling that the intrinsic value of the business is improving.
Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Badger Meter going out to 2024, and you can see them free on our platform here..
That said, it's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Badger Meter , and understanding it should be part of your investment process.
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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