First Financial Northwest (FFNW Quick QuoteFFNW - Free Report) reported $9.91 million in revenue for the quarter ended December 2023, representing a year-over-year decline of 24.7%. EPS of $0.13 for the same period compares to $0.35 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.26 million, representing a surprise of -3.43%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -7.14%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.14.

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 First Financial performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net Interest Margin [%]: 2.5% compared to the 2.7% average estimate based on two analysts.
• Efficiency ratio: 85.2% versus 85% estimated by two analysts on average.
• Total Non Interest Income: $0.63 million compared to the $0.70 million average estimate based on two analysts.
• Net Interest Income: $9.28 million versus $9.57 million estimated by two analysts on average.

View all Key Company Metrics for First Financial here>>>

Shares of First Financial have returned +51.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.