Analysts Are Betting On Gamuda Berhad (KLSE:GAMUDA) With A Big Upgrade This Week

Shareholders in Gamuda Berhad (KLSE:GAMUDA) may be thrilled to learn that the analysts have just delivered a major upgrade to their near-term forecasts. The revenue forecast for this year has experienced a facelift, with analysts now much more optimistic on its sales pipeline.

Following the upgrade, the most recent consensus for Gamuda Berhad from its 14 analysts is for revenues of RM6.8b in 2023 which, if met, would be a substantial 39% increase on its sales over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are forecast to be RM0.28, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Previously, the analysts had been modelling revenues of RM5.9b and earnings per share (EPS) of RM0.27 in 2023. The most recent forecasts are noticeably more optimistic, with a solid increase in revenue estimates and a lift to earnings per share as well.

View our latest analysis for Gamuda Berhad

With these upgrades, we're not surprised to see that the analysts have lifted their price target 5.7% to RM4.27 per share. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. The most optimistic Gamuda Berhad analyst has a price target of RM5.02 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at RM2.90. 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 Gamuda Berhad shareholders.

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. The analysts are definitely expecting Gamuda Berhad's growth to accelerate, with the forecast 39% annualised growth to the end of 2023 ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 0.02% per annum over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to grow their revenue at 12% per year. It seems obvious that, while the growth outlook is brighter than the recent past, the analysts also expect Gamuda Berhad to grow faster than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away from this upgrade is that analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates for this year, expecting improving business conditions. They also upgraded their revenue estimates for this year, and sales are expected to grow faster than the wider market. There was also an increase in the price target, suggesting that there is more optimism baked into the forecasts than there was previously. Given that analysts appear to be expecting substantial improvement in the sales pipeline, now could be the right time to take another look at Gamuda Berhad.

Even so, the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for the value creation of shareholders. We have estimates - from multiple Gamuda Berhad analysts - going out to 2025, 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 upgrading 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.