For the quarter ended December 2024, Lithia Motors (LAD) reported revenue of $9.22 billion, up 20.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $7.79, compared to $8.24 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +4.62% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.81 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $7.01, the EPS surprise was +11.13%.

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

• Unit Sales - New vehicle retail: 96,760 versus the three-analyst average estimate of 93,315.
• Unit Sales - Used vehicle retail: 95,342 versus the three-analyst average estimate of 97,284.
• Average Selling Price - New vehicle retail: $48,635 compared to the $46,816.04 average estimate based on three analysts.
• Average Selling Price - Used vehicle retail: $27,674 compared to the $26,836.23 average estimate based on three analysts.
• Revenue- Fleet and other: $207.20 million versus $112.33 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +425.9% change.
• Revenue- Finance and insurance: $355.80 million versus $355.95 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +7.3% change.
• Revenue- Used vehicle wholesale: $340.90 million versus $333.58 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +40.4% change.
• Revenue- Used vehicle retail: $2.64 billion compared to the $2.65 billion average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +16.4% year over year.
• Revenue- Service, body and parts/Aftersales: $973.80 million versus $980.47 million estimated by five analysts on average.
• Revenue- New vehicle: $4.71 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $4.47 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +18.4%.
• Revenue by Same Store Operating Metrics- Service, Body and Parts/Aftersales: $838.10 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $817.56 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +15.8%.
• Revenue by Same Store Operating Metrics- Finance and Insurance: $321.80 million compared to the $295.26 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +4.1% year over year.

View all Key Company Metrics for Lithia Motors here>>>

Shares of Lithia Motors have returned +3.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +4.3% 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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