Quarterly Earnings Report
A quarterly filing made by public companies to report their performance. Included in earnings reports are items such as net income, earnings per share, earnings from continuing operations and net sales. These reports follow the end of each quarter. Most companies file in January, April, July and October.
Investopedia Commentary
An earnings report is a 'report card' of sorts for a public companies. It is through these reports that companies let shareholders know how well they have performed over the past time period. Most often the key metrics - net income and EPS - are weighed against the previous years' numbers. By analyzing this comparison, investors can begin to gauge the financial health of the company and whether or not it deserves their investment.
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See also: Core Earnings, Earnings per Share - EPS, Earnings Season, Net Income - NI, Trailing EPS, Trailing Twelve Months - TTM