Bentley Systems (BSY) Q3 earnings report preview: what to look for

What happened

Bentley Systems, an infrastructure engineering software company, is scheduled to announce earnings this Thursday morning. Analysts expect revenue to grow 12% year on year, matching the growth rate in the same quarter last year; estimates were generally reconfirmed over the past 30 days.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

Revenue growth will show whether demand for Bentley’s software is keeping pace with expectations. If results fall short, investors could reassess expected sales and the company’s ability to turn them into operating income; if results meet expectations, the established growth outlook may remain intact.

Analyst inference

Last quarter, Bentley met analysts’ revenue expectations, but slightly missed billings estimates, a measure of customer purchases, while adjusted operating income beat estimates. Some software peers have reported strong growth, though their results do not establish how Bentley performed or will perform.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Compare reported revenue growth with the 12% year-on-year forecast and the 12% rate from the same quarter last year. Analyst inference
2. Check billings, a measure of customer purchases, alongside revenue; last quarter Bentley slightly missed analysts’ billings estimates. Confirmed
3. Look for changes in analysts’ forecasts after the announcement, since estimates were generally reconfirmed during the 30 days before earnings. Analyst inference

Evidence

• stockstory.org