It's been a good week for Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. (NYSE:HVT) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest annual results, and the shares gained 3.1% to US$22.49. It looks like a credible result overall - although revenues of US$723m were what the analysts expected, Haverty Furniture Companies surprised by delivering a (statutory) profit of US$1.19 per share, an impressive 39% above what was forecast. 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. So we collected the latest post-earnings statutory consensus estimates to see what could be in store for next year.

Check out our latest analysis for Haverty Furniture Companies

Taking into account the latest results, the most recent consensus for Haverty Furniture Companies from three analysts is for revenues of US$758.2m in 2025. If met, it would imply a modest 4.9% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to bounce 32% to US$1.60. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$753.5m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.33 in 2025. The analysts seem to have become more bearish following the latest results. While there were no changes to revenue forecasts, there was a large cut to EPS estimates.

Althoughthe analysts have revised their earnings forecasts for next year, they've also lifted the consensus price target 10% to US$40.00, suggesting the revised estimates are not indicative of a weaker long-term future for the business. 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 Haverty Furniture Companies analyst has a price target of US$45.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$35.00. This is a very narrow spread of estimates, implying either that Haverty Furniture Companies is an easy company to value, or - more likely - the analysts are relying heavily on some key assumptions.

One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. The analysts are definitely expecting Haverty Furniture Companies' growth to accelerate, with the forecast 4.9% annualised growth to the end of 2025 ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 1.1% per annum over the past five years. Other similar companies in the industry (with analyst coverage) are also forecast to grow their revenue at 5.1% per year. Haverty Furniture Companies is expected to grow at about the same rate as its industry, so it's not clear that we can draw any conclusions from its growth relative to competitors.

The Bottom Line

The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for Haverty Furniture Companies. They also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, with the company predicted to grow at about the same rate as the wider industry. There was also a nice increase in the price target, with the analysts clearly feeling that the intrinsic value of the business is improving.

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. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Haverty Furniture Companies going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here..

Plus, you should also learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Haverty Furniture Companies .

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.