For the quarter ended December 2024, Elevance Health (ELV) reported revenue of $44.99 billion, up 6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $3.84, compared to $5.62 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $44.67 billion, representing a surprise of +0.71%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +1.05%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $3.80.

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

• Benefit Expense Ratio: 92.4% versus the 15-analyst average estimate of 92.4%.
• Medical Membership - Commercial Risk-Based: 5 million compared to the 4.99 million average estimate based on 15 analysts.
• Total Medical Membership: 45.73 million versus 45.98 million estimated by 15 analysts on average.
• Medical Membership - Federal Employees Health Benefits: 1.66 million compared to the 1.66 million average estimate based on 15 analysts.
• Revenues- Premiums: $36.25 billion versus $36.61 billion estimated by 16 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +3.2% change.
• Revenues- Service fees: $2.03 billion versus the 16-analyst average estimate of $2.09 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +5.6%.
• Revenues- Net investment income: $527 million compared to the $532.37 million average estimate based on 16 analysts. The reported number represents a change of -0.4% year over year.
• Revenues- Product revenue: $6.71 billion versus the 16-analyst average estimate of $5.94 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +24.5%.
• Total operating revenue- Carelon Services: $4.77 billion compared to the $4.69 billion average estimate based on 14 analysts. The reported number represents a change of +33.4% year over year.
• Total operating revenue- CarelonRx: $9.98 billion versus the 14-analyst average estimate of $9.41 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +13%.
• Total operating revenue- Health Benefits: $37.58 billion compared to the $38.16 billion average estimate based on 14 analysts. The reported number represents a change of +2.8% year over year.
• Total operating revenue- Carelon: $14.75 billion versus $14.10 billion estimated by 14 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +18.9% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for Elevance Health here>>>

Shares of Elevance Health have returned +4.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.7% 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.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research