For the quarter ended June 2024, Waters (WAT Quick QuoteWAT - Free Report) reported revenue of $708.53 million, down 4.3% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.63, compared to $2.80 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.51% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $698 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.55, the EPS surprise was +3.14%.

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.

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

• Net Sales- Water Division

  : $622.56 million versus $616.71 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -4.7% change.

• Net Sales- TA Division

  : $85.97 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $81.18 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -1.6%.

• Net Sales- Markets- Academic & Government

  : $71.40 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $75.21 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -15.2%.

• Net Sales- Service net sales- TA service

  : $27.14 million versus $25.06 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +7.4% change.

• Net Sales- Service sales

  : $273.39 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $263.21 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +4.1%.

• Net Sales- Product Net Sales- Waters instrument systems

  : $235.23 million compared to the $236.71 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -16% year over year.

• Net Sales- Product Net Sales- Chemistry consumables

  : $141.09 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $139.41 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.8%.

• Net Sales- Product Net Sales- TA instrument systems

  : $58.83 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $58.27 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -5.2%.

• Net Sales- Service net sales- Waters service

  : $246.25 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $238.15 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.7%.

• Net Sales- Markets- Industrial

  : $221.39 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $217.57 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -3.6%.

• Net Sales- Markets- Pharmaceutical

  : $415.75 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $425.40 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -2.6%.

• Net Sales- Product sales

  : $435.14 million versus $434.39 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -9% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for Waters here>>>

Shares of Waters have returned +15.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.