It's been a good week for Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest full-year results, and the shares gained 4.7% to US$231. The result was positive overall - although revenues of US$16b were in line with what the analysts predicted, Republic Services surprised by delivering a statutory profit of US$6.49 per share, modestly greater than expected. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Republic Services after the latest results.

Check out our latest analysis for Republic Services

Following the latest results, Republic Services' 21 analysts are now forecasting revenues of US$16.9b in 2025. This would be a credible 5.7% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to increase 3.8% to US$6.80. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$16.9b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$6.73 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$235, 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. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Republic Services at US$264 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$176. There are definitely some different views on the stock, but the range of estimates is not wide enough as to imply that the situation is unforecastable, in our view.

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 Republic Services' revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues to the end of 2025 expected to display 5.7% growth on an annualised basis. This is compared to a historical growth rate of 11% over the past five years. Compare this to the 167 other companies in this industry with analyst coverage, which are forecast to grow their revenue at 6.8% per year. Factoring in the forecast slowdown in growth, it looks like Republic Services is forecast to grow at about the same rate as 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. They also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, with the company predicted to grow at about the same rate as 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.

Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Republic Services 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 Republic Services , and understanding these 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.