Yahoo Finance Darling Ingredients Inc. Just Missed EPS By 5.4%: Here's What Analysts Think Will Happen Next
Investors in Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR) had a good week, as its shares rose 3.2% to close at US$43.67 following the release of its annual results. Revenues of US$6.8b were in line with forecasts, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) came in below expectations at US$3.99, missing estimates by 5.4%. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. So we collected the latest post-earnings statutory consensus estimates to see what could be in store for next year.
See our latest analysis for Darling Ingredients
Taking into account the latest results, the twelve analysts covering Darling Ingredients provided consensus estimates of US$6.35b revenue in 2024, which would reflect a measurable 6.5% decline over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are forecast to fall 17% to US$3.38 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$6.76b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$4.13 in 2024. From this we can that sentiment has definitely become more bearish after the latest results, leading to lower revenue forecasts and a substantial drop in earnings per share estimates.
Despite the cuts to forecast earnings, there was no real change to the US$66.18 price target, showing that the analysts don't think the changes have a meaningful impact on its intrinsic value. 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 Darling Ingredients analyst has a price target of US$120 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$42.00. So we wouldn't be assigning too much credibility to analyst price targets in this case, because there are clearly some widely different views on what kind of performance this business can generate. As a result it might not be a great idea to make decisions based on the consensus price target, which is after all just an average of this wide range of estimates.
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. These estimates imply that revenue is expected to slow, with a forecast annualised decline of 6.5% by the end of 2024. This indicates a significant reduction from annual growth of 19% over the last five years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same industry are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 2.6% per year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Darling Ingredients is expected to lag the wider industry.
The Bottom Line
The most important thing to take away is that the analysts downgraded their earnings per share estimates, showing that there has been a clear decline in sentiment following these results. On the negative side, they also downgraded their revenue estimates, and forecasts imply they will perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$66.18, 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. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Darling Ingredients going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here..
Even so, be aware that Darling Ingredients is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...
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.
