For the quarter ended December 2024, American Airlines (AAL) reported revenue of $13.66 billion, up 4.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.86, compared to $0.29 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $13.42 billion, representing a surprise of +1.81%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +34.38%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.64.

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