Northwest Natural Holding Company (NYSE:NWN) just released its third-quarter report and things are looking bullish. Results overall were credible, with revenues arriving 3.4% better than analyst forecasts at US$137m. Higher revenues also resulted in lower statutory losses, which were US$0.71 per share, some 3.4% smaller than the analysts expected. 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've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results.

Check out our latest analysis for Northwest Natural Holding

After the latest results, the six analysts covering Northwest Natural Holding are now predicting revenues of US$1.21b in 2025. If met, this would reflect a satisfactory 6.3% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to jump 46% to US$2.86. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$1.21b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.85 in 2025. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

There were no changes to revenue or earnings estimates or the price target of US$44.67, suggesting that the company has met expectations in its recent result. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. There are some variant perceptions on Northwest Natural Holding, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$55.00 and the most bearish at US$39.00 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 Northwest Natural Holding shareholders.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Northwest Natural Holding's past performance and to peers in the same industry. We would highlight that Northwest Natural Holding's revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 5.0% annualised growth rate until the end of 2025 being well below the historical 12% p.a. growth over the last five years. Juxtapose this against the other companies in the industry with analyst coverage, which are forecast to grow their revenues (in aggregate) 3.6% per year. Even after the forecast slowdown in growth, it seems obvious that Northwest Natural Holding is also expected to grow faster than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Happily, there were no major changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still 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 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 Northwest Natural Holding going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here..

You still need to take note of risks, for example - Northwest Natural Holding has 3 warning signs (and 2 which don't sit too well with us) we think you should know about.

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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.