For the quarter ended December 2023, Olin (OLN) reported revenue of $1.61 billion, down 18.3% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.30, compared to $1.43 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +7.70% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.5 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.20, the EPS surprise was +50.00%.

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

• Sales- Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls: $906.10 million versus $842.83 million estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -22.7% change.

• Sales- Winchester: $395.40 million compared to the $357.03 million average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of +23.6% year over year.

• Sales- Epoxy: $313.10 million versus $323.03 million estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -35.3% change.

• Income before Taxes- Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls: $65.90 million compared to the $86.76 million average estimate based on six analysts.

• Income before Taxes- Winchester: $65.40 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $61.94 million.

• Income before Taxes- Epoxy: -$23.10 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of -$26.76 million.

• Other corporate and unallocated costs: -$26.70 million versus -$26.20 million estimated by five analysts on average.

View all Key Company Metrics for Olin here>>>

Shares of Olin have returned -7.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.

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