Broadcom (Nasdaq: BRCM) reported earnings on May 1. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Broadcom beat expectations on both revenue and earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue improved slightly, while GAAP earnings per share shrank significantly.

Gross margin grew, operating margin shrank, and net margin dropped.

Revenue details
Broadcom booked revenue of $1.83 billion. The 36 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated sales of $1.78 billion on the same basis. GAAP-reported sales were 3.6% higher than the prior-year quarter's $1.76 billion.

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 $0.65. The 31 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated $0.55 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.15 for Q1 were 65% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.43 per share.

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 49.8%, 30 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 9.1%, 170 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 4.8%, 810 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $1.92 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.65.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $7.97 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.84.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 917 members rating the stock outperform and 76 members rating it underperform. Among 235 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 218 give Broadcom a green thumbs-up, and 17 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Broadcom is outperform, with an average price target of $42.28.

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