One thing we could say about the analysts on Arcus Biosciences, Inc. (NYSE:RCUS) - they aren't optimistic, having just made a major negative revision to their near-term (statutory) forecasts for the organization. Both revenue and earnings per share (EPS) forecasts went under the knife, suggesting analysts have soured majorly on the business.

After the downgrade, the consensus from Arcus Biosciences' nine analysts is for revenues of US$163m in 2025, which would reflect a substantial 38% decline in sales compared to the last year of performance. Per-share losses are expected to explode, reaching US$4.84 per share. However, before this estimates update, the consensus had been expecting revenues of US$216m and US$4.15 per share in losses. So there's been quite a change-up of views after the recent consensus updates, with the analysts making a serious cut to their revenue forecasts while also expecting losses per share to increase.

See our latest analysis for Arcus Biosciences NYSE:RCUS Earnings and Revenue Growth February 20th 2025

The consensus price target fell 6.3% to US$31.10, with the analysts clearly concerned about the company following the weaker revenue and earnings outlook.

Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. These estimates imply that sales are expected to slow, with a forecast annualised revenue decline of 32% by the end of 2025. This indicates a significant reduction from annual growth of 28% 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 21% per year. It's pretty clear that Arcus Biosciences' revenues are expected to perform substantially worse than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that analysts increased their loss per share estimates for next year. Unfortunately analysts also downgraded their revenue estimates, and industry data suggests that Arcus Biosciences' revenues are expected to grow slower than the wider market. With a serious cut to next year's expectations and a falling price target, we wouldn't be surprised if investors were becoming wary of Arcus Biosciences.

Even so, the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for the value creation of shareholders. We have estimates - from multiple Arcus Biosciences analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

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Of course, seeing company management  invest large sums of money in a stock can be just as useful as knowing whether analysts are downgrading their estimates. So you may also wish to search this free list of stocks with high insider ownership.

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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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