Shareholders might have noticed that ICU Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ICUI) filed its annual result this time last week. The early response was not positive, with shares down 7.0% to US$146 in the past week. The results were mixed overall, with revenues slightly ahead of analyst estimates at US$2.4b. Statutory losses by contrast were 2.3% larger than predictions at US$4.83 per share. 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. With this in mind, we've gathered the latest statutory forecasts to see what the analysts are expecting for next year.

View our latest analysis for ICU Medical

Taking into account the latest results, ICU Medical's six analysts currently expect revenues in 2025 to be US$2.35b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Losses are predicted to fall substantially, shrinking 83% to US$0.81. Before this latest report, the consensus had been expecting revenues of US$2.34b and US$0.55 per share in losses. So it's pretty clear the analysts have mixed opinions on ICU Medical even after this update; although they reconfirmed their revenue numbers, it came at the cost of a sizeable expansion in per-share losses.

Despite expectations of heavier losses next year,the analysts have lifted their price target 15% to US$199, perhaps implying these losses are not expected to be recurring over the long term. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. The most optimistic ICU Medical analyst has a price target of US$225 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$178. Even so, with a relatively close grouping of estimates, it looks like the analysts are quite confident in their valuations, suggesting ICU Medical is an easy business to forecast or the the analysts are all using similar assumptions.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the ICU Medical's past performance and to peers in the same industry. We would highlight that revenue is expected to reverse, with a forecast 1.4% annualised decline to the end of 2025. That is a notable change from historical growth of 16% over the last five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the same industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 7.8% annually for the foreseeable future. It's pretty clear that ICU Medical's revenues are expected to perform substantially worse than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to note is the forecast of increased losses next year, suggesting all may not be well at ICU Medical. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although forecasts imply they will perform worse than the wider industry. We note an upgrade to the price target, suggesting that the analysts believes the intrinsic value of the business is likely to improve over time.

With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on ICU Medical. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple ICU Medical analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

That said, it's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with ICU Medical (at least 1 which is a bit concerning) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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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.