Laboratory Corporation of America (NYSE: LH) reported earnings on April 19. Here are the numbers you need to know.

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

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

Gross margins dropped, operating margins improved, and net margins expanded.

Revenue details
LabCorp recorded revenue of $1.42 billion. The 19 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected to see revenue of $1.40 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 4.0% higher than the prior-year quarter's $1.37 billion.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Non-GAAP EPS came in at $1.61. The 14 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated $1.55 per share on the same basis. GAAP EPS of $1.63 for Q1 were 33% higher than the prior-year quarter's $1.23 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 40.5%, 100 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 19.9%, 60 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 11.4%, 210 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $1.44 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $1.67.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $5.72 billion. The average EPS estimate is $6.49.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 682 members out of 702 rating the stock outperform, and 20 members rating it underperform. Among 217 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 215 give LabCorp a green thumbs-up, and two give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on LabCorp is hold, with an average price target of $96.17.

If you're interested in health-care stocks like LabCorp, you might want to expand your horizons to find maximum returns. Follow the money and meet a prime candidate for major returns in our new report, "Discover the Next Rule-Breaking Multibagger." Click here for instant access to this free report.