Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) reported $4.57 billion in revenue for the quarter ended September 2024, representing a year-over-year decline of 18.5%. EPS of -$0.33 for the same period compares to $0.54 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.75 billion, representing a surprise of -3.90%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -6.45%, with the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.31.

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.

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

• External Sales Volumes- Steel Products: 3,840 Ton compared to the 3,980.92 Ton average estimate based on four analysts.

• Average net selling price per net ton of steel products: $1,045 versus $1,043.77 estimated by four analysts on average.

• Volumes - Steelmaking - Coated steel: 1,078 Ton versus 1,187.04 Ton estimated by three analysts on average.

• Volumes - Steelmaking - Slab and other steel products: 414 Ton compared to the 430.16 Ton average estimate based on three analysts.

• Revenues- Other Businesses: $150 million versus $157.96 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -7.4% change.

• Revenues- Steelmaking: $4.42 billion compared to the $4.60 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of -18.8% year over year.

• Revenues- Steelmaking- Coated steel: $1.38 billion versus $1.53 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -21.2% change.

• Revenues- Steelmaking- Slab and other steel products: $276 million compared to the $289.66 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -14.3% year over year.

• Revenues- Steelmaking- Plate: $237 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $259.96 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -38%.

• Revenues- Steelmaking- Other: $406 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $472.20 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -19.3%.

• Revenues- Steelmaking- Cold-rolled steel: $671 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $653.96 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.1%.

• Revenues- Steelmaking- Hot-rolled steel: $1 billion compared to the $982.24 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -21% year over year.