For the quarter ended December 2022, Lumen (LUMN Quick QuoteLUMN - Free Report) reported revenue of $3.8 billion, down 21.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.43, compared to $0.51 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.43% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.75 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.12, the EPS surprise was +258.33%.

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

• Mass Markets total broadband subscribers: 3037 thousand compared to the 3429.6 thousand average estimate based on three analysts.
• Fiber broadband Subscribers: 832 thousand versus the three-analyst average estimate of 871.58 thousand.
• Total Mass Markets Revenue: $795 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $811.24 million.
• Operating revenues-Total business segment revenue: $3.01 billion versus $2.98 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -14% change.
• Operating revenues-business customers-Wholesale: $819 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $718.08 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -8%.
• Revenues- Wholesale- IP and Data Services: $251 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $234.09 million.
• Revenues- Wholesale- Fiber Infrastructure Services: $172 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $131.19 million.
• Revenues- Wholesale- Voice and Other: $337 million compared to the $283.20 million average estimate based on three analysts.
• Mass Markets Segment by Product Category- Consumer Broadband /Fiber Broadband: $148 million compared to the $139 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -79% year over year.
• Mass Markets Segment by Product Category- Other Broadband: $377 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $405.94 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +866.7%.
• Mass Markets Segment by Product Category- Voice and Other: $270 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $283.24 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -44.4%.
• Revenue - Business Segment by Product Category - Compute and Application Services: $386 million versus $382.53 million estimated by three analysts on average.

View all Key Company Metrics for Lumen here>>>

Shares of Lumen have returned -6.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.