Industry Analysts Just Upgraded Their KBC Group NV (EBR:KBC) Revenue Forecasts By 11%

Celebrations may be in order for KBC Group NV (EBR:KBC) shareholders, with the analysts delivering a significant upgrade to their statutory estimates for the company. The analysts have sharply increased their revenue numbers, with a view that KBC Group will make substantially more sales than they'd previously expected.

Following the upgrade, the current consensus from KBC Group's 17 analysts is for revenues of €11b in 2023 which - if met - would reflect a huge 28% increase on its sales over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are presumed to step up 14% to €7.34. Previously, the analysts had been modelling revenues of €9.5b and earnings per share (EPS) of €7.19 in 2023. The most recent forecasts are noticeably more optimistic, with a nice increase in revenue estimates and a lift to earnings per share as well.

See our latest analysis for KBC Group

Taking a look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can understand these forecasts is to see how they compare to both past performance and industry growth estimates. The analysts are definitely expecting KBC Group's growth to accelerate, with the forecast 28% annualised growth to the end of 2023 ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 1.3% per annum over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 4.8% annually. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that KBC Group is expected to grow much faster than its industry.

The Bottom Line

The biggest takeaway for us from these new estimates is that analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, with improved earnings power expected for this year. Fortunately, analysts also upgraded their revenue estimates, and our data indicates sales are expected to perform better than the wider market. Seeing the dramatic upgrade to this year's forecasts, it might be time to take another look at KBC Group.

Even so, the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for the value creation of shareholders. We have estimates - from multiple KBC Group analysts - going out to 2025, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Of course, seeing company management invest large sums of money in a stock can be just as useful as knowing whether analysts are upgrading their estimates. So you may also wish to search this free list of stocks that insiders are buying.

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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.