For the quarter ended March 2024, AT&T (T) reported revenue of $30.03 billion, down 0.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.55, compared to $0.60 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -2.07% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $30.66 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.53, the EPS surprise was +3.77%.

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 AT&T performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Consumer Wireline - Fiber Broadband Net Additions: 252 thousand compared to the 253.72 thousand average estimate based on four analysts.

• Consumer Wireline - Fiber Broadband Connections: 8,559 thousand versus the four-analyst average estimate of 8,560.72 thousand.

• Mobility Subscribers - Postpaid phone: 71,558 thousand compared to the 71,651.69 thousand average estimate based on four analysts.

• Consumer Wireline - Non Fiber Broadband Connections: 5,225 thousand versus 5,150.62 thousand estimated by four analysts on average.

• Revenues- Communications- Mobility: $20.59 billion versus $21.24 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +0.1% change.

• Revenues- Latin America: $1.06 billion versus $1.03 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +20.4% change.

• Revenues- Communications- Consumer Wireline: $3.35 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $3.38 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.4%.

• Revenues- Total Communications: $28.86 billion versus $29.65 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -1% change.

• Revenues- Communications- Business Wireline: $4.91 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $5.02 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -7.8%.

• Revenues- Latin America- Wireless service: $690 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $688.60 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +16.8%.

• Revenues- Latin America- Wireless equipment: $373 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $323.98 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +27.7%.

• Revenues- Communications- Mobility- Equipment: $4.60 billion versus $5.20 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -9.8% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for AT&T here>>>

Shares of AT&T have returned -4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -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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