Analysts Have Made A Financial Statement On Blue Bird Corporation's (NASDAQ:BLBD) Yearly Report

It's been a good week for Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest annual results, and the shares gained 3.3% to US$40.59. The result was positive overall - although revenues of US$1.3b were in line with what the analysts predicted, Blue Bird surprised by delivering a statutory profit of US$3.16 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. With this in mind, we've gathered the latest statutory forecasts to see what the analysts are expecting for next year.

See our latest analysis for Blue Bird

After the latest results, the six analysts covering Blue Bird are now predicting revenues of US$1.46b in 2025. If met, this would reflect a notable 8.3% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to swell 17% to US$3.82. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$1.46b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$3.53 in 2025. The analysts seems to have become more bullish on the business, judging by their new earnings per share estimates.

There's been no major changes to the consensus price target of US$59.64, suggesting that the improved earnings per share outlook is not enough to have a long-term positive impact on the stock's valuation. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Blue Bird at US$71.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$41.00. 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 Blue Bird 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. We can infer from the latest estimates that forecasts expect a continuation of Blue Bird'shistorical trends, as the 8.3% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2025 is roughly in line with the 7.4% annual growth 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 revenues grow 3.1% per year. So although Blue Bird is expected to maintain its revenue growth rate, it's definitely expected to grow faster than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The biggest takeaway for us is the consensus earnings per share upgrade, which suggests a clear improvement in sentiment around Blue Bird's earnings potential next year. Happily, there were no major changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow faster than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.

Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have forecasts for Blue Bird going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

You can also see our analysis of Blue Bird's Board and CEO remuneration and experience, and whether company insiders have been buying stock.

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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.