PJT Partners Inc. (NYSE:PJT) just released its latest third-quarter results and things are looking bullish. The company beat forecasts, with revenue of US$326m, some 4.1% above estimates, and statutory earnings per share (EPS) coming in at US$0.79, 25% ahead of expectations. 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. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.

Check out our latest analysis for PJT Partners

Taking into account the latest results, the consensus forecast from PJT Partners' six analysts is for revenues of US$1.58b in 2025. This reflects a decent 17% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to fall 17% to US$3.76 in the same period. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$1.55b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$3.86 in 2025. Overall it looks as though the analysts were a bit mixed on the latest results. Although there was a a decent to revenue, the consensus also made a minor downgrade to its earnings per share forecasts.

The consensus price target was unchanged at US$135, suggesting the business is performing roughly in line with expectations, despite some adjustments to profit and revenue forecasts. 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 PJT Partners analyst has a price target of US$151 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$109. These price targets show that analysts do have some differing views on the business, but the estimates do not vary enough to suggest to us that some are betting on wild success or utter failure.

Taking a look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can understand these forecasts is to see how they compare to both past performance and industry growth estimates. The analysts are definitely expecting PJT Partners' growth to accelerate, with the forecast 13% annualised growth to the end of 2025 ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 9.6% per annum over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 6.0% annually. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that PJT Partners is expected to grow much faster than its industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that the analysts downgraded their earnings per share estimates, showing that there has been a clear decline in sentiment following these results. Pleasantly, they also upgraded their revenue estimates, and their forecasts suggest the business is expected to grow faster 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.

With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on PJT Partners. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple PJT Partners analysts - 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 PJT Partners 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.