Analyst Caution Clouds Manitowoc’s Outlook Ahead of Earnings

Market experts are expressing a cautious stance on Manitowoc Company, Inc. as its share price trades at a significant premium to consensus targets. With the crane manufacturer scheduled to release its full-year and fourth-quarter results in early February, the prevailing analyst recommendation points to potential downside risk.

The next major catalyst for the stock is confirmed. Manitowoc will announce its financial figures for Q4 and the full fiscal year 2025 after the market closes on Monday, February 9, 2026. Management will then host an earnings conference call the following day, Tuesday, February 10, at 4:00 p.m. CET, to discuss the results and provide guidance for the coming year. This call is viewed as critical for assessing whether the company's current market valuation can be justified.

Valuation Gap Highlights Skepticism

The equity currently trades at $13.13 per share. This stands approximately 25% above the average analyst price target of $10.50, indicating a notable divergence between the market's pricing and fundamental analyst expectations. This gap is a primary source of the prevailing skepticism.

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Manitowoc?

The consensus recommendation among covering firms is "Reduce." Coverage from five research institutions reveals a uniformly cautious tone: three analysts advise holding the shares, while two advocate selling. There are currently no buy ratings in place.

Institutional Scrutiny and Recent Performance

Institutional investors own 78.66% of Manitowoc's outstanding shares. This high level of professional ownership typically results in heightened sensitivity to quarterly earnings reports and performance metrics.

The company's most recent quarterly report provided mixed signals. For the third quarter of 2025, revenue came in at $553.4 million, surpassing expectations and representing year-over-year growth of 5.4%. However, earnings per share (EPS) of $0.14 narrowly missed the consensus estimate of $0.15. A key question for the upcoming report is whether the positive revenue trend persisted through the end of the year and if profitability showed meaningful improvement.