For the quarter ended June 2024, Caterpillar (CAT Quick QuoteCAT - Free Report) reported revenue of $16.69 billion, down 3.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $5.99, compared to $5.55 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.45% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $16.76 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $5.53, the EPS surprise was +8.32%.

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.

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

• Sales Volume - Machinery, Energy & Transportation - Construction Industries

  : -$588 million versus -$443.33 million estimated by two analysts on average.

• Sales Volume - Machinery, Energy & Transportation - Resource Industries

  : -$475 million compared to the -$290.62 million average estimate based on two analysts.

• Sales Volume - Machinery, Energy & Transportation - Energy & Transportation

  : -$129 million compared to the $14.07 million average estimate based on two analysts.

• Price Realization - Total

  : $578 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $337.07 million.

• Sales and Revenues- Asia/Pacific- Machinery, Energy & Transportation

  : $2.84 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $2.92 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -9.3%.

• Sales and Revenues- Asia/Pacific- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- All Other Segments

  : $12 million versus $13.44 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -14.3% change.

• Sales and Revenues- Latin America- Machinery, Energy & Transportation

  : $1.64 billion compared to the $1.59 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +5% year over year.

• Sales and Revenues- North America- Machinery, Energy & Transportation

  : $8.46 billion compared to the $8.59 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +0.6% year over year.

• Total sales and revenues- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- Energy & Transportation

  : $7.34 billion compared to the $7.29 billion average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.6% year over year.

• Total sales and revenues- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- Resource Industries

  : $3.21 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $3.32 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -10%.

• Total sales and revenues- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- All Other

  : $108 million versus the six-analyst average estimate of $115.19 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -6.9%.

• Total sales and revenues- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- Construction Industries

  : $6.68 billion versus $6.70 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -6.6% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for Caterpillar here>>>

Shares of Caterpillar have returned -3.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -6.7% 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.