Stock Analysis

Zeon Corporation Just Beat EPS By 64%: Here's What Analysts Think Will Happen Next

TSE:4205
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Zeon Corporation (TSE:4205) defied analyst predictions to release its first-quarter results, which were ahead of market expectations. It was overall a positive result, with revenues beating expectations by 7.7% to hit JP¥106b. Zeon also reported a statutory profit of JP¥38.77, which was an impressive 64% above what the analysts had forecast. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Zeon after the latest results.

View our latest analysis for Zeon

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TSE:4205 Earnings and Revenue Growth August 1st 2024

Following last week's earnings report, Zeon's nine analysts are forecasting 2025 revenues to be JP¥401.9b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to tumble 33% to JP¥106 in the same period. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of JP¥398.9b and earnings per share (EPS) of JP¥103 in 2025. The analysts seems to have become more bullish on the business, judging by their new earnings per share estimates.

The consensus price target was unchanged at JP¥1,527, implying that the improved earnings outlook is not expected to have a long term impact on value creation for shareholders. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. There are some variant perceptions on Zeon, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at JP¥1,800 and the most bearish at JP¥1,200 per share. Analysts definitely have varying views on the business, but the spread of estimates is not wide enough in our view to suggest that extreme outcomes could await Zeon shareholders.

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. It's pretty clear that there is an expectation that Zeon's revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues to the end of 2025 expected to display 1.8% growth on an annualised basis. This is compared to a historical growth rate of 5.2% over the past 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 Zeon.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing here is that the analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, suggesting that there has been a clear increase in optimism towards Zeon 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 Zeon's revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at JP¥1,527, 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 estimates - from multiple Zeon analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Plus, you should also learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Zeon .

Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.

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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.