Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) reported earnings on Feb. 16. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Jan. 28 (Q4), Nordstrom met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

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

Gross margins were steady, operating margins dropped, and net margins contracted.

Revenue details
Nordstrom logged revenue of $3.17 billion. The one analyst polled by S&P Capital IQ expected a top line of $3.17 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 12% higher than the prior-year quarter's $2.92 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 $1.11. The 18 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $1.10 per share. GAAP EPS of $1.11 for Q4 were 6.7% higher than the prior-year quarter's $1.04 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 37.8%, about the same as the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 12.8%, 110 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 7.2%, 80 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $2.48 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.73.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $11.62 billion. The average EPS estimate is $3.47.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 501 members rating the stock outperform and 140 members rating it underperform. Among 191 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 167 give Nordstrom a green thumbs-up, and 24 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Nordstrom is outperform, with an average price target of $53.67.

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Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor of Motley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.