For the quarter ended December 2023, Stepan Co. (SCL Quick QuoteSCL - Free Report) reported revenue of $532.13 million, down 15.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.33, compared to $0.59 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $534.53 million, representing a surprise of -0.45%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -10.81%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.37.

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

• Net Sales- Specialty products: $15.39 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $21.05 million.
• Net Sales- Polymers: $147.27 million compared to the $138.80 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -0.7% year over year.
• Net Sales- Surfactants: $369.47 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $377.50 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -18.7%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Stepan Co. here>>>

Shares of Stepan Co. have returned +0.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.6% 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.