The first-quarter results for Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) were released last week, making it a good time to revisit its performance. Revenues were US$18b, approximately in line with expectations, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) performed substantially better. EPS of US$7.28 were also better than expected, beating analyst predictions by 15%. 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. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.

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Taking into account the latest results, the consensus forecast from Lockheed Martin's 19 analysts is for revenues of US$74.4b in 2025. This reflects a reasonable 3.6% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to swell 16% to US$27.35. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$74.3b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$27.22 in 2025. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

See our latest analysis for Lockheed Martin

It will come as no surprise then, to learn that the consensus price target is largely unchanged at US$525. 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 Lockheed Martin at US$670 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$424. As you can see, analysts are not all in agreement on the stock's future, but the range of estimates is still reasonably narrow, which could suggest that the outcome is not totally unpredictable.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Lockheed Martin's past performance and to peers in the same industry. The analysts are definitely expecting Lockheed Martin's growth to accelerate, with the forecast 4.8% annualised growth to the end of 2025 ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 2.4% per annum over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to see revenue growth of 7.0% annually. It seems obvious that, while the future growth outlook is brighter than the recent past, Lockheed Martin is expected to grow slower than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although forecasts imply they will perform worse 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.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Lockheed Martin going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here..

That said, it's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Lockheed Martin , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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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.