For the quarter ended December 2024, Alaska Air Group (ALK) reported revenue of $3.53 billion, up 38.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.97, compared to $0.30 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.51 billion, representing a surprise of +0.64%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +106.38%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.47.

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

View all Key Company Metrics for Alaska Air here>>>

Shares of Alaska Air have returned +1.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.