Shareholders of HBT Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBT) will be pleased this week, given that the stock price is up 13% to US$36.51 following its latest quarterly results. HBT Financial reported US$82m in revenue, roughly in line with analyst forecasts, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) of US$0.76 beat expectations, being 3.5% higher than what the analysts expected. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. 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 consensus forecast from HBT Financial's five analysts is for revenues of US$316.4m in 2026. This reflects a meaningful 19% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to jump 26% to US$2.70. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$312.6m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.61 in 2026. So the consensus seems to have become somewhat more optimistic on HBT Financial's earnings potential following these results.

The analysts have been lifting their price targets on the back of the earnings upgrade, with the consensus price target rising 16% to US$38.20. 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 HBT Financial at US$40.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$36.00. The narrow spread of estimates could suggest that the business' future is relatively easy to value, or thatthe analysts have a strong view on its prospects.

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. The analysts are definitely expecting HBT Financial's growth to accelerate, with the forecast 42% annualised growth to the end of 2026 ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 9.2% per annum over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to grow their revenue at 7.8% per year. It seems obvious that, while the growth outlook is brighter than the recent past, the analysts also expect HBT Financial to grow faster than 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 HBT Financial following these results. Happily, there were no major changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow faster than the wider 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.

Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for HBT Financial going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here..

Don't forget that there may still be risks.

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.