For the quarter ended March 2024, First Financial Corp. (THFF Quick QuoteTHFF - Free Report) reported revenue of $48.35 million, down 10% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.93, compared to $1.33 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $49.75 million, representing a surprise of -2.81%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -6.06%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.99.

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

• Net Interest Margin [%]: 3.5% versus 3.6% estimated by two analysts on average.
• Efficiency Ratio [%]: 67.2% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 65.3%.
• Total Non Interest Income: $9.43 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $9.65 million.
• Gain on sale of mortgage loans: $0.18 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $0.20 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for First Financial Corp. here>>>

Shares of First Financial Corp. have returned -1.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -2.5% 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.