Measurement Specialties (Nasdaq: MEAS) reported earnings on June 6. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q4), Measurement Specialties beat expectations on revenues and crushed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue increased and GAAP earnings per share contracted.

Gross margins shrank, operating margins grew, net margins dropped.

Revenue details
Measurement Specialties reported revenue of $86.4 million. The one analyst polled by S&P Capital IQ expected sales of $82.1 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 13% higher than the prior-year quarter's $76.8 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 $0.54. The four earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $0.44 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.52 for Q4 were 3.7% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.54 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 40.0%, 70 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 11.7%, 150 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 9.7%, 120 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $87.2 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.51.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $359.5 million. The average EPS estimate is $2.13.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 114 members out of 120 rating the stock outperform, and six members rating it underperform. Among 29 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 26 give Measurement Specialties a green thumbs-up, and three give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Measurement Specialties is buy, with an average price target of $40.50.

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