Bank OZK Just Released Its Annual Earnings: Here's What Analysts Think

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) shares fell 3.9% to US$29.25 in the week since its latest yearly results. Revenues came in 2.7% below expectations, at US$962m. Statutory earnings per share were relatively better off, with a per-share profit of US$3.30 being roughly in line with analyst estimates. 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 analysts' statutory forecasts suggest is in store for next year.

See our latest analysis for Bank OZK

Taking into account the latest results, Bank OZK's seven analysts currently expect revenues in 2020 to be US$962.0m, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to sink 12% to US$2.91 in the same period. Yet prior to the latest earnings, analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$974.0m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.98 in 2020. Analysts seem to have become a little more negative on the business after the latest results, given the minor downgrade to their earnings per share forecasts for next year.

The consensus price target held steady at US$33.20, with analysts seemingly voting that their lower forecast earnings are not expected to lead to a lower stock price in the foreseeable future. The consensus price target just an average of individual analyst targets, so - considering that the price target changed, it would be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. There are some variant perceptions on Bank OZK, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$37.00 and the most bearish at US$30.00 per share. Still, with such a tight range of estimates, it suggests analysts have a pretty good idea of what they think the company is worth.

Zooming out to look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can make sense of these forecasts is to see how they measure up both against past performance, and against industry growth estimates. These estimates imply that sales are expected to slow, with a forecast revenue decline of 0.03% a significant reduction from annual growth of 20% over the last five years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same market are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 4.9% next year. It's pretty clear that Bank OZK's revenues are expected to perform substantially worse than the wider market.

The Bottom Line

The biggest concern with the new estimates is that analysts have reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for Bank OZK. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although analyst forecasts imply revenues will perform worse than the wider market. 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.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. We have estimates - from multiple Bank OZK analysts - going out to 2021, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Another thing to consider is whether management and directors have been buying or selling stock recently. We provide an overview of all open market stock trades for the last twelve months on our platform, here.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

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