United States Cellular (NYSE: USM) reported earnings on May 3. Here are the numbers you need to know.

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

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue shrank slightly. GAAP earnings per share shrank significantly.

Margins shrank across the board.

Revenue details
 United States Cellular chalked up revenue of $1.08 billion. The five analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ wanted to see revenue of $1.10 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were the same as the prior-year quarter's.

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 $0.06. The eight earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $0.05 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.06 for Q1 were 92% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.73 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 57.7%, 380 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 1.3%, 630 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 0.5%, 520 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $1.08 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.15.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $4.16 billion. The average EPS estimate is $0.24.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 36 members out of 59 rating the stock outperform, and 23 members rating it underperform. Among 15 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 10 give United States Cellular a green thumbs-up, and five give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on United States Cellular is hold, with an average price target of $38.14.

Is United States Cellular the best telecom bet for you? Learn how to maximize your investment income and "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks," including one above-average telecom company. Click here for instant access to this free report.

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. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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.