Cloud-based EDI And Omni-Channel Analytics Will Strengthen Retail Supply Chains

Key Takeaways

• Strong demand for cloud-based solutions and effective integration of acquisitions are fueling recurring revenue growth and expanded customer opportunities.
  
• Operational efficiencies and market leadership position the company for margin expansion and resilience despite macroeconomic headwinds.
  
• Exposure to economic uncertainty, cautious U.S. supplier spending, price pressure from customer optimization, industry competition, and M&A integration risks could impact earnings growth and margins.

Catalysts

Provides cloud-based supply chain management solutions in the United States.

• The accelerating digitalization of retail supply chains and rising compliance requirements are driving robust demand for SPS Commerce's cloud-based EDI and supply chain solutions, supporting sustained growth in new customer adds and recurring revenue.
  
• As the complexity of omni-channel retail and need for real-time, integrated supply chain analytics increases, SPS Commerce is well positioned to expand its average revenue per user (ARPU) through expanded network connections and the cross-selling of high-value products like analytics and revenue recovery solutions.
  
• The company's demonstrated ability to integrate recent acquisitions (SupplyPike, Carbon6) and quickly align go-to-market strategies is creating additional cross-sell and wallet share opportunities, enhancing both near-term revenue growth and long-term earnings potential.
  
• Operational investments in onboarding automation and customer delivery efficiency-including application of generative AI-are driving margin expansion, with management guiding for continued adjusted EBITDA margin improvement of 2 percentage points annually through improved gross margin and operating leverage.
  
• Despite current macro-related caution and delayed purchasing decisions among suppliers, SPS Commerce's network effects, high customer retention, and established market leadership position it to benefit disproportionately as supply chain investment cycles normalize, providing upside to both revenue growth and net margin resilience.

SPS Commerce Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming SPS Commerce's revenue will grow by 11.1% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 11.8% today to 14.4% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach $139.1 million (and earnings per share of $3.37) by about September 2028, up from $82.9 million today. However, there is some disagreement amongst the analysts with the more bearish ones expecting earnings as low as $119.1 million.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 53.0x on those 2028 earnings, up from 50.7x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the US Software industry at 36.2x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 0.91% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 8.4%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

SPS Commerce Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty-particularly surrounding tariffs and global trade-has caused heightened spend scrutiny, delayed purchasing decisions, longer deal cycles, and aggressive cost-cutting initiatives among supplier customers, which could reduce near-term and medium-term revenue growth and create volatility in earnings.
  
• Heavy reliance on U.S.-based suppliers, who are exhibiting greater caution on technology spending compared to international customers, exposes SPS Commerce to regional economic downturns or sector-specific headwinds, potentially constraining revenue resilience and growth diversification.
  
• Increasing customer scrutiny and effort to optimize or lower their SPS Commerce invoices-by reducing network connections, downsizing usage, or turning off services (especially discretionary analytics)-could drive ARPU (average revenue per user) pressure and slower incremental revenue expansion.
  
• Persistent competition and the risk of industry commoditization, especially in cloud-based EDI services and supply chain analytics, may put downward pressure on pricing and gross margins, especially as SPS expands cross-sell motions and value-added service offerings.
  
• There is a risk that the company's post-acquisition integration of recent M&A (such as Carbon6 and SupplyPike), while so far accretive, may fail to deliver anticipated cross-sell synergies or efficiencies, and any misexecution could dilute operating margin gains and depress medium-term earnings growth.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of $152.364 for SPS Commerce based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $170.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $120.0.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $966.0 million, earnings will come to $139.1 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 53.0x, assuming you use a discount rate of 8.4%.
• Given the current share price of $111.04, the analyst price target of $152.36 is 27.1% higher.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.