Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc. (NYSE:GRDN) investors will be delighted, with the company turning in some strong numbers with its latest results. The company beat forecasts, with revenue of US$352m, some 3.3% above estimates, and statutory earnings per share (EPS) coming in at US$0.34, 51% ahead of expectations. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Guardian Pharmacy Services after the latest results.

Following last week's earnings report, Guardian Pharmacy Services' six analysts are forecasting 2026 revenues to be US$1.44b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to climb 18% to US$1.23. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$1.41b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$1.03 in 2026. There was no real change to the revenue estimates, but the analysts do seem more bullish on earnings, given the substantial gain in earnings per share expectations following these results.

There's been no major changes to the consensus price target of US$48.83, suggesting that the improved earnings per share outlook is not enough to have a long-term positive impact on the stock's valuation. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. The most optimistic Guardian Pharmacy Services analyst has a price target of US$50.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$47.00. Still, with such a tight range of estimates, it suggeststhe analysts have a pretty good idea of what they think the company is worth.

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. These estimates imply that revenue is expected to slow, with a forecast annualised decline of 3.0% by the end of 2026. This indicates a significant reduction from annual growth of 14% over the last five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the same industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 5.0% annually for the foreseeable future. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Guardian Pharmacy Services is expected to lag the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing here is that the analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, suggesting that there has been a clear increase in optimism towards Guardian Pharmacy Services following these results. 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 Guardian Pharmacy Services analysts - going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.

You can also see our analysis of Guardian Pharmacy Services' Board and CEO remuneration and experience, and whether company insiders have been buying stock.

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.