Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) reported earnings on July 25. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
 For the quarter ended May 31 (Q4), Global Payments missed estimates on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew. Non-GAAP earnings per share grew. GAAP earnings per share expanded significantly.

Gross margins shrank, operating margins dropped, net margins grew.

Revenue details
 Global Payments notched revenue of $618.4 million. The 25 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected revenue of $635.4 million 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 $0.98. The 28 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ averaged $1.02 per share. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.98 for Q4 were 1.0% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.97 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.53 for Q4 were much higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.06 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 62.8%, 150 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 11.2%, 460 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 6.6%, 570 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $626.9 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.97.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $2.54 billion. The average EPS estimate is $3.99.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 243 members out of 270 rating the stock outperform, and 27 members rating it underperform. Among 91 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 87 give Global Payments 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 Global Payments is outperform, with an average price target of $54.15.

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