For the quarter ended April 2024, Hormel Foods (HRL Quick QuoteHRL - Free Report) reported revenue of $2.89 billion, down 3% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.38, compared to $0.40 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -3.35% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.99 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.35, the EPS surprise was +8.57%.

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

• Net Sales- Retail: $1.79 billion compared to the $1.88 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -6.7% year over year.
• Net Sales- International: $166.79 million compared to the $173.86 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -7.3% year over year.
• Net Sales- Foodservice: $932 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $905.22 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +5.7%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Hormel here>>>

Shares of Hormel have returned -3.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.2% 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.