Investors in Hannover Rück SE (ETR:HNR1) had a good week, as its shares rose 2.6% to close at €274 following the release of its full-year results. Results were roughly in line with estimates, with revenues of €26b and statutory earnings per share of €19.31. The 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. With this in mind, we've gathered the latest statutory forecasts to see what the analysts are expecting for next year.

Check out our latest analysis for Hannover Rück XTRA:HNR1 Earnings and Revenue Growth March 16th 2025

Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Hannover Rück's twelve analysts is for revenues of €28.0b in 2025. This would reflect a satisfactory 5.9% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to increase 8.0% to €20.85. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of €27.6b and earnings per share (EPS) of €20.78 in 2025. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

The analysts reconfirmed their price target of €274, showing that the business is executing well and in line with expectations. 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. There are some variant perceptions on Hannover Rück, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at €320 and the most bearish at €185 per share. There are definitely some different views on the stock, but the range of estimates is not wide enough as to imply that the situation is unforecastable, in our view.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Hannover Rück's past performance and to peers in the same industry. The analysts are definitely expecting Hannover Rück's growth to accelerate, with the forecast 5.9% annualised growth to the end of 2025 ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 3.4% per annum over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to see revenue growth of 7.1% annually. It seems obvious that, while the future growth outlook is brighter than the recent past, Hannover Rück is expected to grow slower than the wider industry.

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The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although forecasts imply they will perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at €274, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have estimates - from multiple Hannover Rück analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

You can also see whether Hannover Rück is carrying too much debt, and whether its balance sheet is healthy, for free  on our platform here.

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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.

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