Bystronic AG (VTX:BYS) Analysts Are Reducing Their Forecasts For This Year

The latest analyst coverage could presage a bad day for Bystronic AG (VTX:BYS), with the analysts making across-the-board cuts to their statutory estimates that might leave shareholders a little shell-shocked. Both revenue and earnings per share (EPS) forecasts went under the knife, suggesting analysts have soured majorly on the business.

Following the latest downgrade, the current consensus, from the five analysts covering Bystronic, is for revenues of CHF935m in 2021, which would reflect a painful 31% reduction in Bystronic's sales over the past 12 months. Following this this downgrade, earnings are now expected to tip over into loss-making territory, with the analysts forecasting losses of CHF6.23 per share in 2021. Before this latest update, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of CHF1.1b and earnings per share (EPS) of CHF21.38 in 2021. So we can see that the consensus has become notably more bearish on Bystronic's outlook with these numbers, making a measurable cut to this year's revenue estimates. Furthermore, they expect the business to be loss-making this year, compared to their previous forecasts of a profit.

Check out our latest analysis for Bystronic

There was no major change to the consensus price target of CHF1,392, signalling that the business is performing roughly in line with expectations, despite lower earnings per share forecasts. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Bystronic at CHF1,450 per share, while the most bearish prices it at CHF1,300. The narrow spread of estimates could suggest that the business' future is relatively easy to value, or that the analysts have a clear view on its prospects.

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 would highlight that sales are expected to reverse, with a forecast 52% annualised revenue decline to the end of 2021. That is a notable change from historical growth of 0.2% over the last five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the same industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 6.5% annually for the foreseeable future. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Bystronic is expected to lag the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The biggest low-light for us was that the forecasts for Bystronic dropped from profits to a loss this year. Unfortunately analysts also downgraded their revenue estimates, and industry data suggests that Bystronic's revenues are expected to grow slower than the wider market. We're also surprised to see that the price target went unchanged. Still, deteriorating business conditions (assuming accurate forecasts!) can be a leading indicator for the stock price, so we wouldn't blame investors for being more cautious on Bystronic after the downgrade.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Bystronic going out to 2023, 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 downgrading 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.
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