For the quarter ended September 2024, Kimberly-Clark (KMB) reported revenue of $4.95 billion, down 3.5% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.83, compared to $1.74 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -2.19% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.06 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.69, the EPS surprise was +8.28%.

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

• Total Currency impact - YoY change: -3% compared to the -3.4% average estimate based on four analysts.

• Personal Care - Net price impact - YoY change: 3% compared to the 3% average estimate based on four analysts.

• K-C Professional - Organic Sales Growth - YoY change: -1% compared to the 1.6% average estimate based on four analysts.

• Consumer Tissue - Organic Sales Growth - YoY change: -1% versus 0.9% estimated by four analysts on average.

• Personal Care - Mix impact - YoY change: 1% versus 1.1% estimated by four analysts on average.

• Personal Care - Currency impact - YoY change: -6% compared to the -4.9% average estimate based on four analysts.

• Consumer Tissue - Net price impact - YoY change: -1% versus the four-analyst average estimate of 0.1%.

• K-C Professional - Volume impact - YoY change: -1% versus 1.5% estimated by four analysts on average.

• Net Sales- Personal Care: $2.64 billion compared to the $2.72 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of -2.4% year over year.

• Net Sales- K-C Professional: $767 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $791.88 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -10.2%.

• Net Sales- Corporate & Other: $11 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $11.01 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of 0%.

• Net Sales- Consumer Tissue: $1.54 billion compared to the $1.55 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of -1.8% year over year.

View all Key Company Metrics for Kimberly-Clark here>>>

Shares of Kimberly-Clark have returned +2.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.8% 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.