The quarterly results for Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTA) were released last week, making it a good time to revisit its performance. The results look positive overall; while revenues of US$17m were in line with analyst predictions, statutory losses were 7.7% smaller than expected, with Enanta Pharmaceuticals losing US$0.45 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. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.

After the latest results, the consensus from Enanta Pharmaceuticals' five analysts is for revenues of US$66.9m in 2026, which would reflect a measurable 3.3% decline in revenue compared to the last year of performance. Per-share losses are predicted to creep up to US$2.21. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$67.7m and losses of US$2.04 per share in 2026. So it's pretty clear consensus is mixed on Enanta Pharmaceuticals after the new consensus numbers; while the analysts held their revenue numbers steady, they also administered a modest increase to per-share loss expectations.

As a result, there was no major change to the consensus price target of US$20.14, with the analysts implicitly confirming that the business looks to be performing in line with expectations, despite higher forecast losses. 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. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Enanta Pharmaceuticals at US$28.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$19.00. There are definitely some different views on the stock, but the range of estimates is not wide enough as to imply that the situation is unforecastable, in our view.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Enanta Pharmaceuticals' past performance and to peers in the same industry. We would also point out that the forecast 6.5% annualised revenue decline to the end of 2026 is better than the historical trend, which saw revenues shrink 9.1% annually 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 22% per year. So while a broad number of companies are forecast to grow, unfortunately Enanta Pharmaceuticals is expected to see its revenue affected worse than other companies in the industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to note is the forecast of increased losses next year, suggesting all may not be well at Enanta Pharmaceuticals. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although forecasts imply they will perform worse 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.

Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have estimates - from multiple Enanta Pharmaceuticals analysts - going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.

You should always think about risks though.

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.