For the quarter ended December 2024, Lakeland Financial (LKFN) reported revenue of $63.57 million, down 3.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.94, compared to $0.98 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +3.87% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $61.2 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.89, the EPS surprise was +5.62%.

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

• Net Interest Margin: 3.3% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 3.2%.
• Efficiency ratio: 48.2% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 49.1%.
• Total Noninterest Income: $11.88 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $11.70 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Lakeland Financial here>>>

Shares of Lakeland Financial have returned -3.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

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