Number of Analysts: formula and how to read it

How many analysts forecast the company's earnings. Number of analysts behind the consensus EPS forecast for the next fiscal year (the revenue forecast's count when no EPS count is given). It describes how closely the company is followed, not how good it is, so it isn't scored; use it as a filter to avoid forecasts that rest on one or two analysts.

Stock Meadow groups it under Company, and shows it in tables as Analysts.

Number of analysts = the count of analysts behind the consensus EPS forecast for the next fiscal year (the revenue forecast's count when no EPS count is given)

A large company followed by 32 analysts has a consensus built on many opinions; a small company followed by 2 has a consensus that one analyst's change can move substantially. The numbers are made up for illustration.

More analysts generally means a more reliable consensus and a company that is widely researched and well known. Few analysts can mean a hidden opportunity or simply a company that is hard to forecast. It describes coverage, not quality, so Stock Meadow lets you filter on it but not score it.

It can be used as a filter and as a column, but not for scoring: it describes a company rather than making it better or worse.

• A big number does not make a company good: heavily followed stocks can still disappoint.
• Blank when no analyst forecast covers the company, which is common for smaller companies.
• Different analysts may contribute to the revenue and EPS forecasts; the EPS count is used.

How Stock Meadow handles gaps. Usually blank when no analyst forecast covers the company (common for smaller companies).

Treat any single metric as one clue, and read the company's financial statements before drawing a conclusion. Stock Meadow's figures are research tools based on reported data, not investment advice.

No scoring model uses it. It is a filter and a table column only.

Read about every scoring model on the scoring models page.

• Forward EPS Growth: how much analysts expect profit per share to grow in the next fiscal year.
• Analyst Price Target Upside: how far above (or below) today's price the analysts' average target is.
• EPS Estimate Revisions (30 Days): whether analysts have been raising or cutting profit forecasts over the past month.

How many analysts is enough?

There is no rule, but many investors want at least three to five analysts before trusting a consensus. Use the filter to set your own minimum.

Why can I only filter on the number of analysts, not score it?

More analysts does not mean a better company, only a better-covered one, so scoring it would reward size rather than quality.

Can I score stocks on Analysts?

It can be used as a filter and as a column, but not for scoring: it describes a company rather than making it better or worse.

Why is Analysts blank for some stocks?

It is usually blank when no analyst forecast covers the company (common for smaller companies). Stock Meadow leaves the figure blank rather than guessing it.