For the quarter ended September 2023, Pathward Financial (CASH Quick QuoteCASH - Free Report) reported revenue of $160.99 million, up 30.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.36, compared to $1.04 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +2.44% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $157.15 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.30, the EPS surprise was +4.62%.

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

• Net Interest Margin: 6.2% versus 6.5% estimated by two analysts on average.
• Average Outstanding Balance - Total interest-earning assets: $6.72 billion compared to the $6.58 billion average estimate based on two analysts.
• Total NonInterest Income: $56.05 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $52.16 million.
• Net Interest Income: $104.93 million compared to the $105.15 million average estimate based on two analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Pathward here>>>

Shares of Pathward have returned -5.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.