It's been a good week for Schneider National, Inc. (NYSE:SNDR) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest quarterly results, and the shares gained 3.1% to US$22.02. Revenues were in line with forecasts, at US$1.3b, although statutory earnings per share came in 17% below what the analysts expected, at US$0.10 per share. 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. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.

Taking into account the latest results, the consensus forecast from Schneider National's eleven analysts is for revenues of US$5.58b in 2024. This reflects an okay 3.6% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are forecast to dip 8.7% to US$0.82 in the same period. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$5.61b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$0.99 in 2024. So there's definitely been a decline in sentiment after the latest results, noting the real cut to new EPS forecasts.

It might be a surprise to learn that the consensus price target was broadly unchanged at US$25.62, with the analysts clearly implying that the forecast decline in earnings is not expected to have much of an impact on valuation. 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. There are some variant perceptions on Schneider National, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$32.00 and the most bearish at US$22.00 per share. Analysts definitely have varying views on the business, but the spread of estimates is not wide enough in our view to suggest that extreme outcomes could await Schneider National shareholders.

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. 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 5.9% annual growth over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to see their revenues grow 7.9% per year. So it's pretty clear that Schneider National is expected to grow slower than similar companies in the same industry.

The Bottom Line

The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for Schneider National. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although forecasts imply they will perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$25.62, 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. We have forecasts for Schneider National going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here.

It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for Schneider National that you need to take into consideration.

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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.