Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL) reported earnings on April 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

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

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

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

Revenue details
 Whiting Petroleum reported revenue of $613.4 million. The 16 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated sales of $594.7 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 9.8% higher than the prior-year quarter's $558.7 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 $0.94. The 28 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ averaged $0.91 per share. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.94 for Q1 were 8.7% lower than the prior-year quarter's $1.03 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.72 for Q1 were 13% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.83 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 75.4%, 40 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 26.0%, 500 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 14.1%, 350 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $616.7 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.90.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $2.54 billion. The average EPS estimate is $3.78.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 692 members out of 713 rating the stock outperform, and 21 members rating it underperform. Among 102 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 98 give Whiting Petroleum a green thumbs-up, and four give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Whiting Petroleum is outperform, with an average price target of $61.55.

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