Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. Just Recorded A 29% EPS Beat: Here's What Analysts Are Forecasting Next

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (NYSE:HLX) just released its full-year report and things are looking bullish. It was overall a positive result, with revenues beating expectations by 3.0% to hit US$1.4b. Helix Energy Solutions Group also reported a statutory profit of US$0.36, which was an impressive 29% 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. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results.

Check out our latest analysis for Helix Energy Solutions Group

Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Helix Energy Solutions Group's three analysts is for revenues of US$1.43b in 2025. This would reflect a modest 5.5% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to surge 94% to US$0.71. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$1.37b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$0.78 in 2025. So it's pretty clear consensus is mixed on Helix Energy Solutions Group after the latest results; whilethe analysts lifted revenue numbers, they also administered a minor downgrade to per-share earnings expectations.

The consensus price target fell 7.2% to US$13.97, suggesting that the analysts are primarily focused on earnings as the driver of value for this business. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. The most optimistic Helix Energy Solutions Group analyst has a price target of US$15.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$12.50. Still, with such a tight range of estimates, it suggeststhe analysts have a pretty good idea of what they think the company is worth.

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 pretty clear that there is an expectation that Helix Energy Solutions Group's revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues to the end of 2025 expected to display 5.5% growth on an annualised basis. This is compared to a historical growth rate of 17% over the past five years. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 4.2% annually. So it's pretty clear that, while Helix Energy Solutions Group's revenue growth is expected to slow, it's still expected to grow faster than the industry itself.

The Bottom Line

The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for Helix Energy Solutions Group. Happily, they also upgraded their revenue estimates, and are forecasting them to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target fell measurably, with the analysts seemingly not reassured by the latest results, leading to a lower estimate of Helix Energy Solutions Group's future valuation.

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 Helix Energy Solutions Group going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for Helix Energy Solutions Group that you need to take into consideration.

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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.