Company Reporting Investors Follow Closely

Four times a year, companies that issue shares of stock release financial statements covering the prior three months. The publicly traded companies are required to disclose, among other things, their quarter-end balance sheet and income statement information. There is a big focus from investors on the companies’ income numbers. These reporting periods have come to be known as “earnings season.”

There are no official or specific dates that mark the beginning or the end of the period; however, the majority of publicly traded U.S. companies disclose their quarterly earnings more or less around the same time. The only official requirement is that the earnings reports be released within 45 days of the end of each of the company’s quarter-ends.

When is It?

Most companies follow a fiscal calendar from January 1st through December 31st, with the earnings season being the weeks following the calendar quarter-ends (March, June, September, and December). The end of each month will mark the “beginning” of earnings season for that quarter; at this time, company earnings reports begin hitting the tape, and markets begin to react accordingly.

Why it is Important

By the time a company’s financial disclosures are released, expectations from analysts and market participants have already been baked into the stock price. Earnings season has the power to dramatically move stock prices by how expectations match up with reality. If a company’s results beat or fall short of analysts’ expectations, then its stock may experience an unexpected price move as the market adjusts the price to what it is now believed to be worth with the updated financials.

Volatility in the market tends to be higher during these periods as a higher number of stock prices readjust dramatically. Market sectors may do better or worse if several companies in the sector beat or miss expectations. Others in the industry that haven’t yet reported may trade in anticipation of also performing similarly. There is a ripple effect one company’s results may have on others in its sector and even the broader market.

Earnings Season May Affect Your Stock-Level Investment
Decisions

If you are considering buying a company’s stock, earnings reports and earnings trends offer a way to gauge the health of its business. Channelchek is a resource for financial
information on over 6,000 small and microcap companies, not often reported on mainstream financial news.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

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