One of the biggest stories of last week was how ICF International, Inc. (NASDAQ:ICFI) shares plunged 21% in the week since its latest yearly results, closing yesterday at US$79.26. Revenues of US$2.0b were in line with forecasts, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) came in below expectations at US$5.82, missing estimates by 3.9%. 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. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.

View our latest analysis for ICF International

Following the recent earnings report, the consensus from five analysts covering ICF International is for revenues of US$1.97b in 2025. This implies a measurable 2.3% decline in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are forecast to reduce 7.7% to US$5.42 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$2.18b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$6.65 in 2025. From this we can that sentiment has definitely become more bearish after the latest results, leading to lower revenue forecasts and a substantial drop in earnings per share estimates.

It'll come as no surprise then, to learn that the analysts have cut their price target 28% to US$126. 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. There are some variant perceptions on ICF International, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$174 and the most bearish at US$97.00 per share. Note the wide gap in analyst price targets? This implies to us that there is a fairly broad range of possible scenarios for the underlying business.

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. We would highlight that revenue is expected to reverse, with a forecast 2.3% annualised decline to the end of 2025. That is a notable change from historical growth of 7.6% over the last five years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same industry are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 6.4% per year. It's pretty clear that ICF International's revenues are expected to perform substantially worse than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that the analysts downgraded their earnings per share estimates, showing that there has been a clear decline in sentiment following these results. On the negative side, they also downgraded their revenue estimates, and forecasts imply they will perform worse than the wider industry. Furthermore, the analysts also cut their price targets, suggesting that the latest news has led to greater pessimism about the intrinsic value of the business.

Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have estimates - from multiple ICF International analysts - going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Before you take the next step you should know about the 2 warning signs for ICF International (1 is a bit concerning!) that we have uncovered.

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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.