For the quarter ended July 2023, Lowe's (LOW Quick QuoteLOW - Free Report) reported revenue of $24.96 billion, down 9.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $4.56, compared to $4.67 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $24.94 billion, representing a surprise of +0.08%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +1.56%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $4.49.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Lowe's performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Comparable store sales - YoY change: -1.6% versus the 11-analyst average estimate of -2.45%.
• Number of stores - Total: 1742 versus 1738 estimated by five analysts on average.
• Sales floor square footage - Total: 195 million versus 192.7 million estimated by five analysts on average.
• Average store size selling square feet: 112 thousand compared to the 112.18 thousand average estimate based on three analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Lowe's here>>>

Shares of Lowe's have returned +0.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.