Medicis Pharmaceutical (NYSE: MRX) reported earnings on May 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Medicis Pharmaceutical beat expectations on revenues and crushed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue expanded significantly and GAAP earnings per share dropped significantly.

Margins shrank across the board.

Revenue details
Medicis Pharmaceutical reported revenue of $201.7 million. The 18 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated a top line of $185.0 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 22% higher than the prior-year quarter's $164.9 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 $0.60. The 15 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ forecast $0.42 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.09 for Q1 were 70% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.30 per share. (The prior-year quarter included -$0.11 per share in earnings from discontinued operations.)

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 89.6%, 170 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 3.7%, 2,320 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 2.7%, 900 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $193.9 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.48.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $847.6 million. The average EPS estimate is $2.71.

Investor sentiment
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Medicis Pharmaceutical is outperform, with an average price target of $38.67.

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