Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ:NDSN) missed earnings with its latest first-quarter results, disappointing overly-optimistic forecasters. Results look to have been somewhat negative - revenue fell 3.8% short of analyst estimates at US$615m, and statutory earnings of US$1.65 per share missed forecasts by 8.6%. 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. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Nordson after the latest results.

After the latest results, the ten analysts covering Nordson are now predicting revenues of US$2.78b in 2025. If met, this would reflect a modest 4.0% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to grow 14% to US$9.03. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$2.81b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$8.95 in 2025. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

It will come as no surprise then, to learn that the consensus price target is largely unchanged at US$257. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. The most optimistic Nordson analyst has a price target of US$285 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$241. This is a very narrow spread of estimates, implying either that Nordson is an easy company to value, or - more likely - the analysts are relying heavily on some key assumptions.

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. We can infer from the latest estimates that forecasts expect a continuation of Nordson'shistorical trends, as the 5.4% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2025 is roughly in line with the 5.2% annual growth over the past five years. Compare this with the broader industry, which analyst estimates (in aggregate) suggest will see revenues grow 3.4% annually. So it's pretty clear that Nordson is forecast to grow substantially faster than its industry.

The Bottom Line

The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Fortunately, they also reconfirmed their revenue numbers, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Additionally, our data suggests that revenue is expected to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$257, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have forecasts for Nordson going out to 2027, 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.