Westlake Chemical (WLK) reported $2.84 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 0.6%. EPS of $0.06 for the same period compares to $0.72 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -2.12% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.9 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.04, the EPS surprise was -94.23%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

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

• Net external sales- Performance and Essential Materials: $1.86 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $1.88 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -1%.
• Net external sales- Housing and Infrastructure Products: $981 million versus $986.27 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +3.7% change.
• Net external sales- Housing and Infrastructure Products- Housing Products: $818 million versus $827.85 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +2.9% change.
• Net external sales- Performance and Essential Materials- Essential Materials: $741 million versus $826.41 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -4.1% change.
• Net external sales- Housing and Infrastructure Products- Infrastructure Products: $163 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $151.67 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +8%.
• Net external sales- Performance and Essential Materials- Performance Materials: $1.12 billion compared to the $1.15 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.3% year over year.
• EBITDA- Housing and Infrastructure Products: $188 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $150.48 million.
• EBITDA- Performance and Essential Materials: $220 million compared to the $294.76 million average estimate based on three analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Westlake here>>>

Shares of Westlake have returned -6.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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