Shareholders in ageas SA/NV (EBR:AGS) may be thrilled to learn that the analysts have just delivered a major upgrade to their near-term forecasts. Consensus estimates suggest investors could expect greatly increased statutory revenues and earnings per share, with the analysts modelling a real improvement in business performance.
Following the upgrade, the latest consensus from ageas' seven analysts is for revenues of €14b in 2026, which would reflect a substantial 33% improvement in sales compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are supposed to reduce 5.3% to €8.52 in the same period. Previously, the analysts had been modelling revenues of €12b and earnings per share (EPS) of €7.71 in 2026. So we can see there's been a pretty clear increase in analyst sentiment in recent times, with both revenues and earnings per share receiving a decent lift in the latest estimates.
View our latest analysis for ageas
Although the analysts have upgraded their earnings estimates, there was no change to the consensus price target of €72.76, suggesting that the forecast performance does not have a long term impact on the company's valuation.
Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. For example, we noticed that ageas' rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with revenues forecast to exhibit 77% growth to the end of 2026 on an annualised basis. That is well above its historical decline of 5.8% a year over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 4.4% per year. So it looks like ageas is expected to grow faster than its competitors, at least for a while.
The Bottom Line
The biggest takeaway for us from these new estimates is that analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, with improved earnings power expected for this year. They also upgraded their revenue estimates for this year, and sales are expected to grow faster than the wider market. Some investors might be disappointed to see that the price target is unchanged, but we feel that improving fundamentals are usually a positive - assuming these forecasts are met! So ageas could be a good candidate for more research.
With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for ageas going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here..
Of course, seeing company management invest large sums of money in a stock can be just as useful as knowing whether analysts are upgrading their estimates. So you may also wish to search this free list of stocks with high insider ownership.
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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.