For the quarter ended January 2025, Ciena (CIEN) reported revenue of $1.07 billion, up 3.3% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.64, compared to $0.66 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.05 billion, representing a surprise of +2.22%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +64.10%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.39.

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

• Revenue- Total Networking Platforms: $821.20 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $789.28 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +1.7%.
• Revenue- Total Global Services: $130 million versus $136.21 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +2.5% change.
• Revenue- Software and Services- Total (Platform+Blue Planet Automation): $121.10 million compared to the $116.21 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +16.8% year over year.
• Revenue- Networking Platforms- Routing and Switching: $93.20 million versus $95.80 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -16.3% change.
• Revenue- Networking Platforms- Optical Networking: $728 million versus $688.33 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.6% change.
• Revenue- Products: $854.79 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $842.18 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +2.3%.
• Revenue- Blue Planet Automation Software and Services: $26 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $24.74 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +85.7%.
• Revenue- Platform Software and Services: $95.10 million versus $94.95 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +6% change.
• Revenue- Services: $217.48 million compared to the $214.08 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +7.7% year over year.
• Gross profit- Products: $363.98 million versus $342.08 million estimated by two analysts on average.
• Gross profit- Services: $107.84 million compared to the $90.08 million average estimate based on two analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Ciena here>>>

Shares of Ciena have returned -27.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -7.3% 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.

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