Yahoo Finance Auckland International Airport Limited (NZSE:AIA) Analysts Just Slashed This Year's Estimates
The latest analyst coverage could presage a bad day for Auckland International Airport Limited (NZSE:AIA), with the analysts making across-the-board cuts to their statutory estimates that might leave shareholders a little shell-shocked. Both revenue and earnings per share (EPS) estimates were cut sharply as the analysts factored in the latest outlook for the business, concluding that they were too optimistic previously.
After this downgrade, Auckland International Airport's four analysts are now forecasting revenues of NZ$347m in 2022. This would be a solid 11% improvement in sales compared to the last 12 months. Following this this downgrade, earnings are now expected to tip over into loss-making territory, with the analysts forecasting losses of NZ$0.007 per share in 2022. Previously, the analysts had been modelling revenues of NZ$417m and earnings per share (EPS) of NZ$0.041 in 2022. There looks to have been a major change in sentiment regarding Auckland International Airport's prospects, with a substantial drop in revenues and the analysts now forecasting a loss instead of a profit.
Check out our latest analysis for Auckland International Airport
The consensus price target was broadly unchanged at NZ$7.54, perhaps implicitly signalling that the weaker earnings outlook is not expected to have a long-term impact on the valuation. 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. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Auckland International Airport at NZ$9.20 per share, while the most bearish prices it at NZ$6.60. This shows there is still some diversity in estimates, but analysts don't appear to be totally split on the stock as though it might be a success or failure situation.
These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Auckland International Airport's past performance and to peers in the same industry. One thing stands out from these estimates, which is that Auckland International Airport is forecast to grow faster in the future than it has in the past, with revenues expected to display 11% annualised growth until the end of 2022. If achieved, this would be a much better result than the 0.4% annual decline 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 revenue grow 13% per year. So while Auckland International Airport's revenues are expected to improve, it seems that it is expected to grow at about the same rate as the overall industry.
The Bottom Line
The biggest low-light for us was that the forecasts for Auckland International Airport dropped from profits to a loss this year. Lamentably, they also downgraded their sales forecasts, but the business is still expected to grow at roughly the same rate as the market itself. We're also surprised to see that the price target went unchanged. Still, deteriorating business conditions (assuming accurate forecasts!) can be a leading indicator for the stock price, so we wouldn't blame investors for being more cautious on Auckland International Airport after the downgrade.
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 Auckland International Airport going out to 2024, 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 downgrading their estimates. So you may also wish to search this free list of stocks that insiders are buying.
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.
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