Datalogic S.p.A. (BIT:DAL) Just Reported First-Quarter Earnings: Have Analysts Changed Their Mind On The Stock?

Shareholders in Datalogic S.p.A. (BIT:DAL) had a terrible week, as shares crashed 26% to €4.15 in the week since its latest first-quarter results. Results were roughly in line with estimates, with revenues of €120m and statutory earnings per share of €0.15. 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.

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Following the latest results, Datalogic's five analysts are now forecasting revenues of €522.3m in 2026. This would be a modest 2.9% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to soar 33% to €0.21. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of €523.7m and earnings per share (EPS) of €0.24 in 2026. The analysts seem to have become more bearish following the latest results. While there were no changes to revenue forecasts, there was a real cut to EPS estimates.

Check out our latest analysis for Datalogic

The consensus price target held steady at €5.20, with the analysts seemingly voting that their lower forecast earnings are not expected to lead to a lower stock price in the foreseeable future. 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. The most optimistic Datalogic analyst has a price target of €5.80 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at €4.50. Still, with such a tight range of estimates, it suggeststhe analysts have a pretty good idea of what they think the company is worth.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Datalogic's past performance and to peers in the same industry. One thing stands out from these estimates, which is that Datalogic is forecast to grow faster in the future than it has in the past, with revenues expected to display 3.9% annualised growth until the end of 2026. If achieved, this would be a much better result than the 4.3% annual decline over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 5.1% per year. Although Datalogic's revenues are expected to improve, it seems that the analysts are still bearish on the business, forecasting it to grow slower than the broader industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that the analysts downgraded their earnings per share estimates, showing that there has been a clear decline in sentiment following these results. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Although our data does suggest that Datalogic's revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at €5.20, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have forecasts for Datalogic going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.

And what about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Datalogic (of which 1 is significant!) you should know about.

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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.