For the quarter ended December 2023, Provident Financial (PFS Quick QuotePFS - Free Report) reported revenue of $114.76 million, down 13.3% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.36, compared to $0.66 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.92% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $112.6 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.40, the EPS surprise was -10.00%.

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.

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

• Net Interest Margin: 2.9% compared to the 2.9% average estimate based on two analysts.
• Efficiency Ratio: 61.3% versus 57.6% estimated by two analysts on average.
• Total Non-Interest Income: $18.97 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $18.82 million.
• Net Interest Income: $95.79 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $93.82 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Provident Financial here>>>

Shares of Provident Financial have returned -5.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.