For the quarter ended September 2023, Investar (ISTR Quick QuoteISTR - Free Report) reported revenue of $19.11 million, down 26.9% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.33, compared to $0.71 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -4.28% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $19.96 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.32, the EPS surprise was +3.13%.

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

• Net Interest Margin [%]: 2.7% compared to the 2.7% average estimate based on two analysts.
• Efficiency Ratio [%]: 82.6% versus 78.2% estimated by two analysts on average.
• Total Noninterest Income: $1.64 million compared to the $2.07 million average estimate based on two analysts.
• Net Interest Income: $17.47 million compared to the $17.94 million average estimate based on two analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Investar here>>>

Shares of Investar have returned -7.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -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.