Investors in Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX) had a good week, as its shares rose 7.2% to close at US$49.30 following the release of its quarterly results. Boston Scientific reported in line with analyst predictions, delivering revenues of US$5.4b and statutory earnings per share of US$0.61, suggesting the business is executing well and in line with its plan. 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.

Taking into account the latest results, Boston Scientific's 29 analysts currently expect revenues in 2026 to be US$21.4b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to rise 5.5% to US$2.67. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$21.5b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.80 in 2026. The analysts seem to have become a little more negative on the business after the latest results, given the minor downgrade to their earnings per share numbers for next year.

It might be a surprise to learn that the consensus price target fell 13% to US$62.69, with the analysts clearly linking lower forecast earnings to the performance of the stock price. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Boston Scientific at US$94.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$44.00. Note the wide gap in analyst price targets? This implies to us that there is a fairly broad range of possible scenarios for the underlying business.

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. It's pretty clear that there is an expectation that Boston Scientific's revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues to the end of 2026 expected to display 3.6% growth on an annualised basis. This is compared to a historical growth rate of 13% over the past five years. Compare this against other companies (with analyst forecasts) in the industry, which are in aggregate expected to see revenue growth of 7.7% annually. So it's pretty clear that, while revenue growth is expected to slow down, the wider industry is also expected to grow faster than Boston Scientific.

The Bottom Line

The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for Boston Scientific. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although forecasts imply they will perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target fell measurably, with the analysts seemingly not reassured by the latest results, leading to a lower estimate of Boston Scientific's future valuation.

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

Plus, you should also learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Boston Scientific .

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.