For the quarter ended December 2023, Encompass Health (EHC Quick QuoteEHC - Free Report) reported revenue of $1.25 billion, up 9.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.95, compared to $0.88 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.76% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.24 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.83, the EPS surprise was +14.46%.

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

• Net patient revenue per discharge: $20,538 compared to the $20,806.80 average estimate based on two analysts.
• Total Discharges: 59,247 versus 58,184 estimated by two analysts on average.
• Revenues- Inpatient Rehabilitation: $1.22 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.21 billion.
• Revenues- Outpatient and other: $30 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $26.24 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Encompass Health here>>>

Shares of Encompass Health have returned +5.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.