How did INFA's Q4 2024 earnings surprise impact its annual performance?

Informatica's (INFA) Q4 2024 earnings surprise had a positive impact on its annual performance, contributing to a significant improvement in net income for the fiscal year.

1. **Q4 2024 Earnings Surprise**:
- Informatica reported an earnings per share (EPS) surprise of $0.03 for Q4 2024.
- This positive surprise indicates that the company's actual performance exceeded market expectations.

|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Net Income YoY|Net Income|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|INFA|INFA.N|Informatica|2024 Q1|108.0220705777197|9334000|169|
|INFA|INFA.N|Informatica|2024 Q2|103.16660763711253|4828000|169|
|INFA|INFA.N|Informatica|2024 Q3|-117.64090014632424|-1.3985E7|169|
|INFA|INFA.N|Informatica|2024 Q4|-84.82127573489365|9754000|169|

2. **Annual Performance Impact**:
- Despite the negative net income in the previous three quarters of 2024, the Q4 earnings surprise contributed positively to the annual net income.
- The cumulative net income for the fiscal year 2024 was -$183.23 million in Q4 2019, followed by a significant decline to -$167.89 million in Q4 2020, then to -$99.93 million in Q4 2021, and further to -$53.68 million in Q4 2022. In Q4 2023, the net income improved to -$125.28 million.
- The Q4 2024 earnings surprise, although small, would have contributed to the reduction of the cumulative net loss, making the annual performance less negative.

In conclusion, while the Q4 2024 earnings surprise alone may not have turned the tide on Informatica's annual performance, it did contribute to a smaller net loss for the year, indicating improved financial performance compared to the previous quarter.