The Imdex Limited (ASX: IMD) share price has started the day off in the green and is climbing 2% higher at $2.68.
Imdex shares have rallied 13% this past week, and another 13% this month as well.
That's well ahead of the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) which has posted a loss of 3% in that time.
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Why is the Imdex share price gaining ground lately?
Imdex shares had been trading sideways since the company released its FY21 earnings report.
At that time, the provider of technology and equipment to the mining industry's share price popped 11% on the day, but returns had been fairly uninteresting from that point.
That is however until we finished the walk through September, where investors began to show love for Imdex in the markets again.
Despite no price-sensitive news, bullish investors began driving the price action from $2.32 to $2.45 per share in the first week of October.
Then, yesterday, the company announced some positive updates from its annual general meeting (AGM), noting it had made a positive start to FY22.
It stated that Q1 FY22 revenue was already up 41% from the same time last year, and 13% higher than the previous quarter.
This is the highest Q1 top-line earnings result the company has achieved since 2018 by at least $18 million, per the AGM presentation.
Can Imdex keep up the momentum? One leading broker seems to think so. Let's take a look at what investment firm Jeffries is saying about the Imdex share price.
Can Imdex keep growing its earnings?
Jeffries certainly believes it can, especially given the company's record quarterly revenue result. The broker has updated its modelling and raised its earnings outlook for Imdex from the company's updates.
As such, it reiterated its buy recommendation on Imdex shares, which implies analysts see further growth potential as a possibility.
The broker feels there are upcoming catalysts investors might want to consider as well too, as "the pace of recovery continues to surprise to the upside", referring to broad ASX earnings growth and the recovery of the real economy.
With this in mind, it "expect(s) the next catalyst to be earnings and the inherent operating leverage that would drive further upgrades", which it says could be bolstered by product development after the pandemic.
With FY22 revenue coming in so strong this early in the year, the broker lifted its FY22-24 estimates on Imdex's EBITDA by 13-15% and its net profit after tax (NPAT) forecasts by 18-20%.
As The Motley Fool reported in August, some fund managers are seeing this upside in Imdex shares too, with Fairmont Equities managing director providing an optimistic look on the company's shares in a note to clients.
Imdex share price snapshot
The Imdex share price has climbed 55% this year to date and has posted a return of 98% in the last 12 months.
These outsized gains have outpaced the broad index's 12 month return of around 25%.
