Nordson (NDSN) reported $650.17 million in revenue for the quarter ended April 2023, representing a year-over-year increase of 2.3%. EPS of $2.26 for the same period compares to $2.43 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.88% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $638.2 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.10, the EPS surprise was +7.62%.

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

• Net sales- Industrial precision solutions: $335.81 million versus $320.07 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +6.1% change.

• Net sales- Advanced Technology Solutions: $147.83 million compared to the $151.13 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -53.7% year over year.

• Net sales- Medical and fluid solutions: $166.53 million versus $165.70 million estimated by three analysts on average.

• Operating profit (loss)- Advanced Technology Solutions: $26.09 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $29.47 million.

• Operating profit (loss)- Medical and fluid solutions: $47.92 million versus $46.43 million estimated by three analysts on average.

• Operating profit (loss)- Industrial precision solutions: $111.77 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $105.90 million.

• Operating profit (loss)- Corporate: -$13.28 million versus -$17.67 million estimated by three analysts on average.

View all Key Company Metrics for Nordson here>>>

Shares of Nordson have returned -0.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.1% 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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