For the quarter ended September 2023, NRG Energy (NRG Quick QuoteNRG - Free Report) reported revenue of $7.95 billion, down 6.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.62, compared to $0.29 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.44 billion, representing a surprise of +46.20%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +5.88%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.53.

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.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how NRG performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Total revenue- West/Services/Other: $978 million compared to the $498.69 million average estimate based on two analysts.
• Total revenue- East: $2.81 billion compared to the $2.49 billion average estimate based on two analysts.
• Total revenue- Texas: $3.69 billion compared to the $2.38 billion average estimate based on two analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for NRG here>>>

Shares of NRG have returned +17.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.1% 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.