Analysts Have Made A Financial Statement On AJ Bell plc's (LON:AJB) Full-Year Report

Last week, you might have seen that AJ Bell plc (LON:AJB) released its full-year result to the market. The early response was not positive, with shares down 7.4% to UK£4.92 in the past week. Revenues of UK£317m were in line with forecasts, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) came in below expectations at UK£0.26, missing estimates by 2.4%. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.

AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early.

After the latest results, the eleven analysts covering AJ Bell are now predicting revenues of UK£349.6m in 2026. If met, this would reflect a solid 10% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to rise 5.1% to UK£0.27. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of UK£341.4m and earnings per share (EPS) of UK£0.28 in 2026. So it looks like there's been no major change in sentiment following the latest results, although the analysts have made a small increase to to revenue forecasts.

See our latest analysis for AJ Bell

Even though revenue forecasts increased, there was no change to the consensus price target of UK£5.48, suggesting the analysts are focused on earnings as the driver of value creation. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. Currently, the most bullish analyst values AJ Bell at UK£6.25 per share, while the most bearish prices it at UK£4.75. With such a narrow range of valuations, the analysts apparently share similar views on what they think the business is worth.

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. We would highlight that AJ Bell's revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 10% annualised growth rate until the end of 2026 being well below the historical 20% p.a. growth over the last five years. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 0.3% annually. So it's pretty clear that, while AJ Bell's revenue growth is expected to slow, it's still expected to grow faster than the industry itself.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. Happily, they also upgraded their revenue estimates, and are forecasting them to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at UK£5.48, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. We have forecasts for AJ Bell going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.

You still need to take note of risks, for example - AJ Bell has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.