United Airlines (UAL) reported $14.7 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 7.9%. EPS of $3.26 for the same period compares to $2.00 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $14.39 billion, representing a surprise of +2.13%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +8.31%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $3.01.

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