Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODFL) shareholders are probably feeling a little disappointed, since its shares fell 8.9% to US$212 in the week after its latest second-quarter results. The result was positive overall - although revenues of US$1.6b were in line with what the analysts predicted, Old Dominion Freight Line surprised by delivering a statutory profit of US$1.68 per share, modestly greater than expected. 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 Old Dominion Freight Line after the latest results.

After the latest results, the 20 analysts covering Old Dominion Freight Line are now predicting revenues of US$5.91b in 2026. If met, this would reflect a reasonable 5.4% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to climb 10% to US$5.79. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$5.87b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$5.56 in 2026. So the consensus seems to have become somewhat more optimistic on Old Dominion Freight Line's earnings potential following these results.

There's been no major changes to the consensus price target of US$232, suggesting that the improved earnings per share outlook is not enough to have a long-term positive impact on the stock's valuation. 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. The most optimistic Old Dominion Freight Line analyst has a price target of US$280 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$156. As you can see, analysts are not all in agreement on the stock's future, but the range of estimates is still reasonably narrow, which could suggest that the outcome is not totally unpredictable.

Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. It's clear from the latest estimates that Old Dominion Freight Line's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 11% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2026 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 0.9% p.a. 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 7.1% per year. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that Old Dominion Freight Line is expected to grow much faster than its 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 Old Dominion Freight Line following these results. Happily, there were no major changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$232, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Old Dominion Freight Line 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 Old Dominion Freight Line .

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.