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Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) defied analyst predictions to release its quarterly results, which were ahead of market expectations. It was overall a positive result, with revenues beating expectations by 3.5% to hit US$4.0b. Intuit also reported a statutory profit of US$1.67, which was an impressive 98% above what the analysts had forecast. 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. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.
View our latest analysis for Intuit
Following the latest results, Intuit's 30 analysts are now forecasting revenues of US$18.3b in 2025. This would be a credible 6.9% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to step up 17% to US$12.68. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$18.3b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$12.47 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.
It will come as no surprise then, to learn that the consensus price target is largely unchanged at US$710. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Intuit at US$860 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$530. Analysts definitely have varying views on the business, but the spread of estimates is not wide enough in our view to suggest that extreme outcomes could await Intuit shareholders.
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. We would highlight that Intuit's revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 14% annualised growth rate until the end of 2025 being well below the historical 18% p.a. growth over the last five years. Compare this to the 425 other companies in this industry with analyst coverage, which are forecast to grow their revenue at 12% per year. So it's pretty clear that, while Intuit's revenue growth is expected to slow, it's expected to grow roughly in line with the 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. Happily, there were no real changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow in line with the overall industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$710, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.