How to Analyze Corporate Earnings in Five Steps
Earnings reports provide a snapshot of business performance, but they are most valuable when viewed as part of a longer-term trend.
The headlines surrounding earnings reports often focus on whether a company beat, missed or matched analysts’ expectations. Some headlines will focus on revenues or forward guidance.
Much information is left out. If you only focus on the headlines, you will miss out on identifying key trends affecting the company. You will also miss out on important context regarding the underlying business and how it affects performance.
Conducting an analysis of earnings reports from the companies you own shares in or are watching will make you a more informed investor. It will also help you form a better opinion of whether you should continue to hold a stock in your portfolio or if the time to sell is nearing.
This analysis does not need to be complicated. An informed investor with a good process can form an objective opinion in a short amount of time by knowing what to look for. In this installment of our financial statement analysis series, we show you how to effectively analyze earnings reports.
When to Expect Earnings Reports
U.S. companies are required to report earnings quarterly. The majority of companies operate on a calendar-year fiscal year (January through December). They release earnings during the following months:
Fourth Quarter: January/early February
First Quarter: April/early May
Second Quarter: July/early August
Third Quarter: October/early November
Retailers mostly operate on a February through January fiscal year, meaning their earnings reports come out in February, May, August and November. A small percentage of companies operate on nontraditional fiscal-year periods. Nike Inc. (NKE) and Adobe Inc. (ADBE), for instance, report earnings in March, June, September and December.
Because companies announce earnings around the same time each year, it is easy to anticipate when a company will report next. Press releases announcing the specific earnings release date are distributed prior to the actual earnings announcement.