Investors in Schneider National, Inc. (NYSE:SNDR) had a good week, as its shares rose 3.9% to close at US$31.47 following the release of its quarterly results. It looks like a credible result overall - although revenues of US$1.4b were in line with what the analysts predicted, Schneider National surprised by delivering a statutory profit of US$0.12 per share, a notable 19% above expectations. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. 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 current consensus from Schneider National's 14 analysts is for revenues of US$5.98b in 2026. This would reflect an okay 5.5% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to soar 59% to US$0.89. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$5.96b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$0.84 in 2026. The analysts seems to have become more bullish on the business, judging by their new earnings per share estimates.

The consensus price target rose 10% to US$32.07, suggesting that higher earnings estimates flow through to the stock's valuation as well. 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 Schneider National, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$38.00 and the most bearish at US$25.00 per share. 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 Schneider National's past performance and to peers in the same industry. One thing stands out from these estimates, which is that Schneider National is forecast to grow faster in the future than it has in the past, with revenues expected to display 7.4% annualised growth until the end of 2026. If achieved, this would be a much better result than the 0.3% 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 7.4% per year. So it looks like Schneider National is expected to grow at about the same rate as the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The biggest takeaway for us is the consensus earnings per share upgrade, which suggests a clear improvement in sentiment around Schneider National's earnings potential next year. Happily, there were no real changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow in line with the overall industry. We note an upgrade to the price target, suggesting that the analysts believes the intrinsic value of the business is likely to improve over time.

With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Schneider National. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple Schneider National analysts - going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.

It might also be worth considering whether Schneider National's debt load is appropriate, using our debt analysis tools on the Simply Wall St platform, here.

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.