News Flash: 4 Analysts Think Clovis Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLVS) Earnings Are Under Threat

One thing we could say about the analysts on Clovis Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLVS) - they aren't optimistic, having just made a major negative revision to their near-term (statutory) forecasts for the organization. Both revenue and earnings per share (EPS) forecasts went under the knife, suggesting analysts have soured majorly on the business.

Following the downgrade, the most recent consensus for Clovis Oncology from its four analysts is for revenues of US$161m in 2022 which, if met, would be a satisfactory 3.2% increase on its sales over the past 12 months. Losses are forecast to narrow 9.6% to US$2.08 per share. Yet before this consensus update, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$195m and losses of US$1.48 per share in 2022. Ergo, there's been a clear change in sentiment, with the analysts administering a notable cut to this year's revenue estimates, while at the same time increasing their loss per share forecasts.

See our latest analysis for Clovis Oncology

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 would highlight that Clovis Oncology's revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 3.2% annualised growth rate until the end of 2022 being well below the historical 38% p.a. growth over the last five years. Compare this against other companies (with analyst forecasts) in the industry, which are in aggregate expected to see revenue growth of 13% annually. So it's pretty clear that, while revenue growth is expected to slow down, the wider industry is also expected to grow faster than Clovis Oncology.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to note from this downgrade is that the consensus increased its forecast losses this year, suggesting all may not be well at Clovis Oncology. Regrettably, they also downgraded their revenue estimates, and the latest forecasts imply the business will grow sales slower than the wider market. We wouldn't be surprised to find shareholders feeling a bit shell-shocked, after these downgrades. It looks like analysts have become a lot more bearish on Clovis Oncology, and their negativity could be grounds for caution.

So things certainly aren't looking great, and you should also know that we've spotted some potential warning signs with Clovis Oncology, including dilutive stock issuance over the past year. Learn more, and discover the 4 other risks we've identified, for 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 downgrading 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.