Rambus (Nasdaq: RMBS) reported earnings on April 19. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Rambus met expectations on revenue and missed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue increased slightly and GAAP loss per share improved.

Margins dropped across the board.

Revenue details
Rambus chalked up revenue of $62.9 million. The one analyst polled by S&P Capital IQ wanted to see revenue of $63.0 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 0.5% higher than the prior-year quarter's $62.5 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at -$0.25. The one earnings estimate compiled by S&P Capital IQ averaged -$0.23 per share. GAAP EPS were -$0.25 for Q1 compared to -$0.04 per share for the prior-year quarter.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 88.6%, 640 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was -27.9%, 4,790 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -44.4%, 3,760 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $66.0 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is -$0.20.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $276.9 million.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 432 members out of 518 rating the stock outperform, and 86 members rating it underperform. Among 86 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 67 give Rambus a green thumbs-up, and 19 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Rambus is outperform, with an average price target of $16.00.

Over the decades, small-cap stocks like Rambus have provided market-beating returns, provided they're value-priced and have solid businesses. Read about a pair of companies with a lock on their markets in "Too Small to Fail: Two Small Caps the Government Won't Let Go Broke." Click here for instant access to this free report.