How did GGG's Q1 2025 EPS forecast compare to past trends?

Graco Inc.'s (GGG) Q1 2025 EPS forecast shows a decline from the previous quarter's EPS, reflecting a challenging outlook for the industrial products company. 1. **Comparison to Recent Past Trends**: - Graco's EPS has shown a general upward trend over the past few years, with an EPS of $2.66 reported for Q4 2022, $2.82 for Q4 2024, and $2.94 for Q4 2023. - The forecasted EPS of $0.66 for Q1 2025 is significantly lower than the most recent EPS of $2.94 reported for Q4 2023. |code|Ticker|Name|Date|Diluted EPS YoY|Diluted EPS|market_code| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2022 Q1|-4.9180327868852505|0.58|169| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2022 Q2|7.936507936507943|0.68|169| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2022 Q3|13.559322033898319|0.67|169| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2023 Q1|29.310344827586217|0.75|169| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2023 Q2|14.705882352941172|0.78|169| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2023 Q3|14.925373134328353|0.77|169| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2024 Q1|-5.3333333333333375|0.71|169| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2024 Q2|-1.2820512820512833|0.77|169| |GGG|GGG.N|Graco|2024 Q3|-7.792207792207799|0.71|169| 2. **Analyst Forecasts and Trends**: - Analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2025 EPS estimate to $0.66, down from the previous estimate of $0.67. - DA Davidson's M. Summerville expects Q1 2025 EPS of $0.67. - Seaport Res Ptn's W. Liptak forecasted FY2025 EPS of $3.03, which is slightly higher than the current full-year consensus estimate of $3.06. 3. **Market Conditions and Challenges**: - The decline in Q1 2025 EPS forecast reflects broader economic challenges and market conditions that impact industrial products companies. - Graco's Q4 2024 earnings report indicated a missed EPS, with the company reporting $0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates. In conclusion, Graco's Q1 2025 EPS forecast of $0.66 represents a substantial decrease from the company's recent past EPS trends, indicating a cautious outlook for the industrial sector and reflecting specific challenges that Graco is facing in the immediate term.