Lumen (LUMN) reported $3.18 billion in revenue for the quarter ended March 2025, representing a year-over-year decline of 3.3%. EPS of -$0.13 for the same period compares to -$0.04 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.1 billion, representing a surprise of +2.71%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +55.17%, with the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.29.

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

• Operating Revenues- Total Business Segment Revenue: $2.52 billion versus $2.44 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.6% change.
• Operating Revenues- Total Mass Markets Revenue: $658 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $656.84 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -5.9%.
• Operating Revenues- Total Business Segment Revenue- Wholesale: $705 million versus $686.30 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -3.4% change.
• Large Enterprise- Total: $737 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $810.76 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -14.1%.
• Operating revenues- International and Other- Total: $86 million compared to the $93.08 million average estimate based on two analysts.
• Public Sector- Total: $483 million versus $401 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +15% change.
• Fiber Broadband-Mass Markets Segment by Product Category: $209 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $202.43 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +22.9%.
• Other Broadband-Mass Markets Segment by Product Category: $257 million versus $256.44 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -18.4% change.
• Voice and Other-Mass Markets Segment by Product Category: $192 million versus $197.97 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -10.3% change.
• Mid-Market Enterprise- Total: $513 million versus $450.06 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +5.6% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for Lumen here>>>

Shares of Lumen have returned -11.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.7% 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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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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