Investar (ISTR Quick QuoteISTR - Free Report) reported $19.96 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2024, representing a year-over-year decline of 6.1%. EPS of $0.43 for the same period compares to $0.51 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $18.78 million, representing a surprise of +6.33%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +72.00%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.25.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

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

• Net Interest Margin [%]: 2.6% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 2.6%.
• Efficiency Ratio [%]: 76.6% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 83.1%.
• Total Noninterest Income: $2.75 million versus $2.07 million estimated by two analysts on average.
• Net Interest Income: $17.22 million compared to the $16.73 million average estimate based on two analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Investar here>>>

Shares of Investar have returned +1.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -2.7% 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.