FuelCell Energy (FCEL Quick QuoteFCEL - Free Report) reported $22.46 million in revenue for the quarter ended October 2023, representing a year-over-year decline of 42.7%. EPS of -$0.07 for the same period compares to -$0.11 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $26.11 million, representing a surprise of -13.97%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +12.50%, with the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.08.

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

• Revenues- Generation: $8.53 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $10.16 million.
• Revenues- Advanced Technologies: $4.27 million versus $5.63 million estimated by two analysts on average.
• Revenues- Service: -$0.83 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $9.58 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for FuelCell Energy here>>>

Shares of FuelCell Energy have returned +23.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.2% 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.