For the quarter ended December 2024, Meritage Homes (MTH) reported revenue of $1.61 billion, down 2.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $4.72, compared to $2.69 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +2.80% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.57 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.21, the EPS surprise was +113.57%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

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

• Home Closing Revenue - Average sales price - Total: $395 versus the 10-analyst average estimate of $402.77.
• Homes closed - Total: 4,044 compared to the 3,885 average estimate based on 10 analysts.
• Homes ordered - Total: 3,304 versus the 10-analyst average estimate of 3,352.
• Order Backlog - Total: 1,544 versus 1,759 estimated by nine analysts on average.
• Active Communities - Ending - Total: 292 versus the eight-analyst average estimate of 303.
• Order Backlog - Average sales price - Total: $408 versus $406 estimated by eight analysts on average.
• Order Backlog Value - Total: $629.55 million versus the seven-analyst average estimate of $708.57 million.
• Homes Ordered Value - Total: $1.32 billion versus $1.35 billion estimated by six analysts on average.
• Revenue- Total closing revenue (Homebuilding): $1.61 billion versus the 11-analyst average estimate of $1.57 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -2.4%.
• Revenue- Home closing: $1.60 billion versus the 11-analyst average estimate of $1.56 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -2.8%.
• Revenue- Land closing: $17.36 million compared to the $6.15 million average estimate based on 10 analysts. The reported number represents a change of +48.6% year over year.
• Revenue- Financial Services: $8.43 million versus the 10-analyst average estimate of $7.43 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +17.1%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Meritage here>>>

Shares of Meritage have returned +5.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% 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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