Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AMS:WKL) Just Released Its Yearly Earnings: Here's What Analysts Think

Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AMS:WKL) last week reported its latest yearly results, which makes it a good time for investors to dive in and see if the business is performing in line with expectations. The result was positive overall - although revenues of €5.9b were in line with what the analysts predicted, Wolters Kluwer surprised by delivering a statutory profit of €4.52 per share, modestly greater than expected. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Wolters Kluwer

Taking into account the latest results, the consensus forecast from Wolters Kluwer's eleven analysts is for revenues of €6.37b in 2025. This reflects a satisfactory 7.7% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to accumulate 8.0% to €4.97. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of €6.39b and earnings per share (EPS) of €4.97 in 2025. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

It will come as no surprise then, to learn that the consensus price target is largely unchanged at €167. 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. There are some variant perceptions on Wolters Kluwer, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at €190 and the most bearish at €137 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 Wolters Kluwer shareholders.

One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. It's clear from the latest estimates that Wolters Kluwer's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 7.7% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2025 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 5.9% p.a. 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 5.4% per year. It seems obvious that, while the growth outlook is brighter than the recent past, the analysts also expect Wolters Kluwer to grow faster than the wider industry.

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. Fortunately, they also reconfirmed their revenue numbers, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Additionally, our data suggests that revenue is expected to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at €167, 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. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Wolters Kluwer 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 Wolters Kluwer that 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.