Shareholders might have noticed that Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT) filed its annual result this time last week. The early response was not positive, with shares down 3.4% to US$59.81 in the past week. It was a credible result overall, with revenues of US$1.5b and statutory earnings per share of US$3.19 both in line with analyst estimates, showing that Crane NXT is executing in line with expectations. 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. With this in mind, we've gathered the latest statutory forecasts to see what the analysts are expecting for next year.

View our latest analysis for Crane NXT

Taking into account the latest results, Crane NXT's five analysts currently expect revenues in 2025 to be US$1.52b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to grow 15% to US$3.70. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$1.52b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$4.01 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.

It might be a surprise to learn that the consensus price target was broadly unchanged at US$79.33, with the analysts clearly implying that the forecast decline in earnings is not expected to have much of an impact on valuation. 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 Crane NXT analyst has a price target of US$100.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$62.00. This shows there is still a bit of diversity in estimates, but analysts don't appear to be totally split on the stock as though it might be a success or failure situation.

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. It's pretty clear that there is an expectation that Crane NXT's revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues to the end of 2025 expected to display 2.0% growth on an annualised basis. This is compared to a historical growth rate of 4.8% 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 7.3% per year. Factoring in the forecast slowdown in growth, it seems obvious that Crane NXT is also expected to grow slower than other industry participants.

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 Crane NXT's revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$79.33, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

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 estimates - from multiple Crane NXT analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Crane NXT 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.