Business First (BFST Quick QuoteBFST - Free Report) reported $66.19 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.4%. EPS of $0.64 for the same period compares to $0.70 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +4.80% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $63.16 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.51, the EPS surprise was +25.49%.

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

• Net Interest Margin: 3.5% versus 3.4% estimated by two analysts on average.
• Efficiency Ratio: 65.1% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 67.8%.
• Total other income (Non-Interest Income): $12.18 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $9.71 million.
• Net Interest Income: $54.01 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $53.45 million.

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

Shares of Business First have returned +20.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.3% 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.