Stock Analysis

Commercial Metals Company (NYSE:CMC) Just Released Its Third-Quarter Earnings: Here's What Analysts Think

NYSE:CMC
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It's been a good week for Commercial Metals Company (NYSE:CMC) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest third-quarter results, and the shares gained 8.0% to US$54.42. Commercial Metals reported in line with analyst predictions, delivering revenues of US$2.1b and statutory earnings per share of US$1.02, suggesting the business is executing well and in line with its plan. 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. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Commercial Metals after the latest results.

View our latest analysis for Commercial Metals

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NYSE:CMC Earnings and Revenue Growth June 23rd 2024

Following last week's earnings report, Commercial Metals' six analysts are forecasting 2025 revenues to be US$8.05b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to shrink 3.4% to US$4.75 in the same period. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$8.17b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$4.90 in 2025. The analysts seem to have become a little more negative on the business after the latest results, given the minor downgrade to their earnings per share numbers for next year.

The consensus price target held steady at US$63.50, with the analysts seemingly voting that their lower forecast earnings are not expected to lead to a lower stock price in the foreseeable future. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. The most optimistic Commercial Metals analyst has a price target of US$70.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$60.00. Still, with such a tight range of estimates, it suggeststhe analysts have a pretty good idea of what they think the company is worth.

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. These estimates imply that revenue is expected to slow, with a forecast annualised decline of 0.9% by the end of 2025. This indicates a significant reduction from annual growth of 11% over the last five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the same industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 5.4% annually for the foreseeable future. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Commercial Metals is expected to lag the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that the analysts downgraded their earnings per share estimates, showing that there has been a clear decline in sentiment 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 Commercial Metals' revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$63.50, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have estimates - from multiple Commercial Metals analysts - going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here.

However, before you get too enthused, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Commercial Metals that you should be aware of.

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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.