Investors in Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:EQH) had a good week, as its shares rose 9.1% to close at US$50.40 following the release of its third-quarter results. Revenues fell badly short of expectations, with revenue of US$3.1b missing analyst predictions by 20%. Unsurprisingly, the statutory profit the analysts had been forecasting evaporated, turning into a loss of US$0.47 per share. 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. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.

Check out our latest analysis for Equitable Holdings

Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Equitable Holdings' seven analysts is for revenues of US$16.7b in 2025. This would reflect a major 52% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Equitable Holdings is also expected to turn profitable, with statutory earnings of US$6.41 per share. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$16.6b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$6.37 in 2025. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results.

The analysts reconfirmed their price target of US$48.90, showing that the business is executing well and in line with expectations. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. The most optimistic Equitable Holdings analyst has a price target of US$60.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$43.00. These price targets show that analysts do have some differing views on the business, but the estimates do not vary enough to suggest to us that some are betting on wild success or utter failure.

Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. It's clear from the latest estimates that Equitable Holdings' rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 40% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2025 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 2.2% p.a. over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 4.1% annually. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that Equitable Holdings is expected to grow much faster than its industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. Happily, there were no major changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$48.90, 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 Equitable Holdings analysts - going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Even so, be aware that Equitable Holdings is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

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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.