Last week saw the newest quarterly earnings release from Unitil Corporation (NYSE:UTL), an important milestone in the company's journey to build a stronger business. Results overall were respectable, with statutory earnings of US$0.26 per share roughly in line with what the analysts had forecast. Revenues of US$117m came in 5.0% ahead of analyst predictions. 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. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.

After the latest results, the three analysts covering Unitil are now predicting revenues of US$624.4m in 2026. If met, this would reflect a satisfactory 4.7% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to accumulate 6.6% to US$3.28. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$591.9m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$3.27 in 2026. There doesn't appear to have been a major change in sentiment following the results, other than the small lift in revenue estimates.

It may not be a surprise to see thatthe analysts have reconfirmed their price target of US$55.33, implying that the uplift in revenue is not expected to greatly contribute to Unitil's valuation in the near term. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. There are some variant perceptions on Unitil, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$57.00 and the most bearish at US$54.00 per share. 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.

One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. The analysts are definitely expecting Unitil's growth to accelerate, with the forecast 9.6% annualised growth to the end of 2026 ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 1.8% per annum over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 4.2% annually. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that Unitil is expected to grow much 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. Happily, they also upgraded their revenue estimates, and are forecasting them to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$55.33, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

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 Unitil going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here..

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.