The Krones AG (ETR:KRN) Third-Quarter Results Are Out And Analysts Have Published New Forecasts

It's been a good week for Krones AG (ETR:KRN) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest quarterly results, and the shares gained 5.7% to €130. Revenues of €1.4b were in line with forecasts, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) came in below expectations at €2.15, missing estimates by 2.3%. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Krones after the latest results.

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Following the latest results, Krones' nine analysts are now forecasting revenues of €5.95b in 2026. This would be a credible 3.6% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to expand 17% to €10.77. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of €5.97b and earnings per share (EPS) of €10.84 in 2026. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results.

See our latest analysis for Krones

There were no changes to revenue or earnings estimates or the price target of €153, suggesting that the company has met expectations in its recent result. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Krones at €176 per share, while the most bearish prices it at €136. Even so, with a relatively close grouping of estimates, it looks like the analysts are quite confident in their valuations, suggesting Krones is an easy business to forecast or the the analysts are all using similar assumptions.

Looking at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can make sense of these forecasts is to see how they measure up against both past performance and industry growth estimates. We would highlight that Krones' revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 2.9% annualised growth rate until the end of 2026 being well below the historical 11% p.a. growth over the last five years. Compare this against other companies (with analyst forecasts) in the industry, which are in aggregate expected to see revenue growth of 5.7% annually. So it's pretty clear that, while revenue growth is expected to slow down, the wider industry is also expected to grow faster than Krones.

The Bottom Line

The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although forecasts imply they will perform worse than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.

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 Krones going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here..

However, before you get too enthused, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Krones that you should be aware of.

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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.