Ares Capital (ARCC) reported $701 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 13.4%. EPS of $0.59 for the same period compares to $0.56 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $701.4 million, representing a surprise of -0.06%. The company has not delivered EPS surprise, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.59.

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

• Dividend income: $147 million versus $127.09 million estimated by five analysts on average.

• Other Income: $13 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $13.34 million.

• Capital Structuring Service Fees: $28 million compared to the $30.22 million average estimate based on five analysts.

• Interest Income From Investments: $513 million compared to the $527.16 million average estimate based on five analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Ares Capital here>>>

Shares of Ares Capital have returned +0.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -4.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

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