Sally Beauty (SBH) reported $935.03 million in revenue for the quarter ended September 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.5%. EPS of $0.50 for the same period compares to $0.42 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.07% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $935.65 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.48, the EPS surprise was +4.17%.

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.

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

• Comparable sales growth - Consolidated: 2% versus 1.7% estimated by four analysts on average.
• Comparable sales growth - Beauty Systems Group: 1.3% compared to the 2.5% average estimate based on three analysts.
• Number of stores at end-of-period - Beauty Systems Group: 1,331 versus 1,331 estimated by three analysts on average.
• Number of stores at end-of-period - Total: 4,460 compared to the 4,457 average estimate based on three analysts.
• Number of stores at end-of-period - Sally Beauty Supply: 3,129 compared to the 3,126 average estimate based on three analysts.
• Comparable sales growth - Sally Beauty Supply: 2.6% compared to the 1.1% average estimate based on three analysts.
• Net Sales- Sally Beauty Supply: $534.07 million compared to the $529.29 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.8% year over year.
• Net Sales- Beauty Systems Group: $400.95 million compared to the $406.22 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.1% year over year.
• Operating Income- Beauty Systems Group: $44.03 million compared to the $51.90 million average estimate based on two analysts.
• Operating Income- Sally Beauty Supply: $92.93 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $84.39 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Sally Beauty here>>>

Shares of Sally Beauty have returned -1.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.1% 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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