Columbia Sportswear Company (NASDAQ:COLM) investors will be delighted, with the company turning in some strong numbers with its latest results. It was overall a positive result, with revenues beating expectations by 3.6% to hit US$770m. Columbia Sportswear also reported a statutory profit of US$0.71, which was an impressive 111% above what the analysts had forecast. 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.

Following last week's earnings report, Columbia Sportswear's eleven analysts are forecasting 2024 revenues to be US$3.39b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are forecast to dip 7.6% to US$3.85 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$3.39b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$3.70 in 2024. The analysts seems to have become more bullish on the business, judging by their new earnings per share estimates.

The analysts have been lifting their price targets on the back of the earnings upgrade, with the consensus price target rising 5.3% to US$77.30. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Columbia Sportswear at US$96.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$60.00. 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.

Taking a look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can understand these forecasts is to see how they compare to both past performance and industry growth estimates. We would highlight that revenue is expected to reverse, with a forecast 1.7% annualised decline to the end of 2024. That is a notable change from historical growth of 5.7% 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 6.0% per year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Columbia Sportswear is expected to lag the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The biggest takeaway for us is the consensus earnings per share upgrade, which suggests a clear improvement in sentiment around Columbia Sportswear's earnings potential next year. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Although our data does suggest that Columbia Sportswear's revenue is expected to perform worse than 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.

With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Columbia Sportswear. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have forecasts for Columbia Sportswear going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here.

You can also see our analysis of Columbia Sportswear's Board and CEO remuneration and experience, and whether company insiders have been buying stock.

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