Flowers Foods (NYSE: FLO) reported earnings on Nov. 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
 For the quarter ended Oct. 6 (Q3), Flowers Foods met expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew and GAAP earnings per share dropped.

Gross margins expanded, operating margins expanded, net margins shrank.

Revenue details
 Flowers Foods chalked up revenue of $717.3 million. The nine analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated a top line of $722.4 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 6.2% higher than the prior-year quarter's $675.4 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 $0.25. The 10 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ forecast $0.25 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.22 for Q3 were 4.3% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.23 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 46.7%, 80 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 7.3%, 10 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 4.4%, 20 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $709.2 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.24.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $3.01 billion. The average EPS estimate is $0.99.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 350 members out of 359 rating the stock outperform, and nine members rating it underperform. Among 110 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 106 give Flowers Foods 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 Flowers Foods is outperform, with an average price target of $22.29.

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