For the quarter ended December 2022, Linde (LIN Quick QuoteLIN - Free Report) reported revenue of $7.9 billion, down 4.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $3.16, compared to $2.77 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.09 billion, representing a surprise of -2.33%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +8.59%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $2.91.

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

• Sales - EMEA: $2.03 billion compared to the $2 billion average estimate based on three analysts.
• Sales - Other: $323 million compared to the $330 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -41.6% year over year.
• Sales - Americas: $3.42 billion versus $3.53 billion estimated by three analysts on average.
• Sales - APAC: $1.57 billion compared to the $1.61 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -1.4% year over year.
• Sales - Engineering: $562 million versus $546.80 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -40.6% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for Linde here>>>

Shares of Linde have returned +0.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.