The quarterly results for Investar Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:ISTR) were released last week, making it a good time to revisit its performance. Revenues of US$36m fell slightly short of expectations, but earnings were a definite bright spot, with statutory per-share profits of US$0.77 an impressive 34% ahead of estimates. 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. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.

After the latest results, the three analysts covering Investar Holding are now predicting revenues of US$147.7m in 2026. If met, this would reflect a sizeable 38% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to shoot up 54% to US$3.04. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$152.4m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.92 in 2026. So it's pretty clear that while sentiment around revenues has declined following the latest results, the analysts are now more bullish on the company's earnings power.

There's been no real change to the average price target of US$32.83, with the lower revenue and higher earnings forecasts not expected to meaningfully impact the company's valuation over a longer timeframe. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Investar Holding at US$34.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$33.00. With such a narrow range of valuations, the analysts apparently share similar views on what they think the business 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. It's clear from the latest estimates that Investar Holding's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 53% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2026 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 2.6% p.a. over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 8.7% annually. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that Investar Holding 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 Investar Holding following these results. Regrettably, they also downgraded their revenue estimates, but the latest forecasts still imply the business will grow faster than the wider industry. Yet - earnings are more important to the intrinsic value of the business. 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. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Investar Holding 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.