For the quarter ended September 2023, Pegasystems (PEGA) reported revenue of $334.64 million, up 23.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.44, compared to -$0.34 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +12.82% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $296.61 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.01, the EPS surprise was +4300.00%.

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

• Revenue- Subscription: $275.92 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $236.20 million.

• Revenue- Consulting: $55.98 million versus $58.32 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +0.8% change.

• Revenue- Perpetual license: $2.75 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $2.11 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -70.2%.

• Revenue- Subscription license: $74.34 million versus $35.52 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +139% change.

• Revenue- Subscription services: $201.58 million compared to the $197.98 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +15.3% year over year.

• Revenue- Pega Cloud: $118.04 million compared to the $121.66 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +21.2% year over year.

• Revenue- Maintenance: $83.54 million compared to the $78.53 million average estimate based on two analysts.

• Gross Profit- Subscription Services: $165.67 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $160.06 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Pegasystems here>>>

Shares of Pegasystems have returned -6.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report