Last week, you might have seen that BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BWXT) released its first-quarter result to the market. The early response was not positive, with shares down 8.0% to US$88.07 in the past week. It looks like a credible result overall - although revenues of US$604m were in line with what the analysts predicted, BWX Technologies surprised by delivering a statutory profit of US$0.75 per share, a notable 14% above expectations. 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. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.

Check out our latest analysis for BWX Technologies

Taking into account the latest results, the most recent consensus for BWX Technologies from six analysts is for revenues of US$2.62b in 2024. If met, it would imply a credible 3.7% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to step up 13% to US$3.13. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$2.61b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$3.11 in 2024. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

It will come as no surprise then, to learn that the consensus price target is largely unchanged at US$108. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. The most optimistic BWX Technologies analyst has a price target of US$123 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$75.00. As you can see, analysts are not all in agreement on the stock's future, but the range of estimates is still reasonably narrow, which could suggest that the outcome is not totally unpredictable.

Of course, another way to look at these forecasts is to place them into context against the industry itself. The period to the end of 2024 brings more of the same, according to the analysts, with revenue forecast to display 4.9% growth on an annualised basis. That is in line with its 6.0% annual growth over the past five years. Compare this with the broader industry, which analyst estimates (in aggregate) suggest will see revenues grow 2.3% annually. So it's pretty clear that BWX Technologies is forecast to grow substantially faster than its industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. Happily, there were no major changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$108, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

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 BWX Technologies going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here..

However, before you get too enthused, we've discovered 1 warning sign for BWX Technologies that you should be aware of.

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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.