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Acuity Brands, Inc. Just Beat Analyst Forecasts, And Analysts Have Been Updating Their Predictions

Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) investors will be delighted, with the company turning in some strong numbers with its latest results. The company beat both earnings and revenue forecasts, with revenue of US$776m, some 4.0% above estimates, and statutory earnings per share (EPS) coming in at US$1.52, 39% ahead of expectations. 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. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Acuity Brands after the latest results.

View our latest analysis for Acuity Brands

NYSE:AYI Earnings and Revenue Growth July 2nd 2020
NYSE:AYI Earnings and Revenue Growth July 2nd 2020

Taking into account the latest results, Acuity Brands' nine analysts currently expect revenues in 2021 to be US$3.34b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are forecast to reduce 2.2% to US$6.71 in the same period. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$3.37b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$6.63 in 2021. 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$102, 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. The most optimistic Acuity Brands analyst has a price target of US$135 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$50.00. This is a fairly broad spread of estimates, suggesting that analysts are forecasting a wide range of possible outcomes for the business.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Acuity Brands' past performance and to peers in the same industry. These estimates imply that sales are expected to slow, with a forecast revenue decline of 1.0%, a significant reduction from annual growth of 5.4% 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 5.1% next year. It's pretty clear that Acuity Brands' revenues are expected to perform substantially worse than the wider 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. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting sales are tracking in line with expectations - although our data does suggest that Acuity Brands' revenues are expected to perform worse than 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.

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 Acuity Brands going out to 2022, and you can see them free on our platform here..

We also provide an overview of the Acuity Brands Board and CEO remuneration and length of tenure at the company, and whether insiders have been buying the stock, here.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.

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