AES (AES Quick QuoteAES - Free Report) reported $2.97 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2023, representing a year-over-year decline of 3%. EPS of $0.73 for the same period compares to $0.49 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.1 billion, representing a surprise of -4.29%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +5.80%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.69.

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

• Revenue- Renewables SBU: $595 million compared to the $690.89 million average estimate based on two analysts.
• Revenue- New Energy Technologies SBU: $1 million versus $3.45 million estimated by two analysts on average.
• Revenue- Energy Infrastructure SBU: $1.60 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.12 billion.
• Revenue- Utilities SBU: $792 million versus $909.96 million estimated by two analysts on average.

View all Key Company Metrics for AES here>>>

Shares of AES have returned -6.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +4.7% 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.