On May 8, wireless technology developer and Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation InterDigital Communications (NASDAQ:IDCC) released first-quarter earnings for the period ended Mar. 31.

  • Fool Dave Mock explains why it was a fine quarter for InterDigital.

  • Free cash flow rose by 18.5% to $93.3 million, largely because of the receipt of a $95 million payment from LG Electronics related to its patent license agreement.

  • The stock is tops in our Motley Fool CAPS community. Investors there collectively give it a five-star rating.

(Figures in thousands, except per-share data.)

Income Statement Highlights

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change

Sales

$67,818.0

$51,606.0

31.4%

Net Profit

$17,669.0

$12,939.0

36.6%

EPS

$0.34

$0.23

47.8%

Diluted Shares

51,880.0

56,884.0

(8.8%)

Get back to basics with the income statement.

Margin Checkup

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change*

Operating Margin

35.7%

36.4%

(0.7)

Net Margin

26.1%

25.1%

1.0

*Expressed in percentage points.

Margins are the earnings engine.

Balance Sheet Highlights

Assets

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change

Cash + ST Invest.

$212,819.0

$197,039.0

8.0%

Accounts Rec.

$110,994.0

$113,404.0

(2.1%)

Liabilities

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change

Accounts Payable*

$41,548.0

$13,041.0

218.6%

Long-Term Debt**

$12,957.0

$1,481.0

774.9%

*Includes accrued liabilities.
**2007 data includes long-term liabilities.

The balance sheet reflects the company's health.

Cash Flow Highlights

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change

Cash From Ops.

$105,594.0

$86,546.0

22.0%

Capital Expenditures

$12,278.0

$7,778.0

57.9%

Free Cash Flow

$93,316.0

$78,768.0

18.5%

Free cash flow is a Fool's best friend.

Related Foolishness:

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