For the quarter ended March 2025, Westlake Chemical (WLK) reported revenue of $2.85 billion, down 4.3% over the same period last year. EPS came in at -$0.31, compared to $1.34 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -2.53% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.92 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.70, the EPS surprise was -144.29%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

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

• Net external sales- Performance and Essential Materials: $1.85 billion versus $1.91 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -4.2% change.
• Net external sales- Housing and Infrastructure Products: $996 million versus $1.06 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -4.6% change.
• Net external sales- Performance and Essential Materials- Performance Materials: $1.06 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $1.12 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -9.3%.
• Net external sales- Performance and Essential Materials- Essential Materials: $794 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $753.23 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.5%.
• Net external sales- Housing and Infrastructure Products- Housing Products: $838 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $883.99 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -4.7%.
• Net external sales- Housing and Infrastructure Products- Infrastructure Products: $158 million compared to the $172.19 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -4.2% year over year.
• EBITDA- Housing and Infrastructure Products: $203 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $231.71 million.
• EBITDA- Performance and Essential Materials: $73 million versus $199.94 million estimated by five analysts on average.

View all Key Company Metrics for Westlake here>>>

Shares of Westlake have returned -2.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that it could underperform 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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