Are company earnings and income the same?

Net income is a company's bottom-line profit after accounting for all business expenses, taxes, and other costs. "Earnings" typically refers to net income per share. For example, you might hear that a company reported $100 million in net income and $3.23 per share.

Can earnings reports predict a company's future performance?

Many companies issue predictions (known as guidance) along with their earnings reports. However, there's no guarantee that any company will deliver what its management team expects.

Should you buy stock before an earnings report?

Before and after an earnings report, a stock can be rather volatile. If a company's earnings don't meet expectations, the stock can plunge after the report is released. On the other hand, if earnings exceed expectations, a stock can soar. If you buy a stock before an earnings report, expect volatility once the report is released.

How do investors use earnings reports?

Aside from the obvious use of seeing how a company's business performed over the past three-month period, there is plenty of valuable information in earnings reports. For example, the company's balance sheet provides an updated view of the business's financial condition. Management's guidance offers insight into where things might be heading in the future. And investors can use the numbers to spot trends, such as accelerating or slowing growth rates, margin trends, and more.

What time are earnings reports released?

There's no specific rule governing the timing of earnings reports, but most companies release their results a few hours before the stock market opens or after it closes. Most earnings reports are released between 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. ET or 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET windows, but there certainly are exceptions.

Where can I find earnings reports?

There are a few places where you can find earnings reports. The easiest place is typically the company's investor relations page, but you can also look at its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Alternatively, if you have a brokerage account, you can typically see all recent news (including earnings releases) in a company's news feed.

How much do earnings reports affect stock prices?

Earnings reports can certainly influence stock prices, but this isn't always the case. If a company misses expectations on earnings or revenue, reports an unexpectedly strong or weak quarter, or issues future guidance that is either worse or better than expected, its stock price could move sharply in one direction or another. On the other hand, if a company's earnings report is completely lacking in surprises, it's entirely possible for a stock to barely budge after earnings.

Earnings Reports of Top Companies: Revenue, Profits & Forecasts

Upcoming Earnings Reports in 2026

By Matthew Frankel, CFP – Updated Sep 10, 2026 at 9:18 AM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Earnings reports reveal a company's revenue, net income, and forward guidance.
Quarterly insights and projections help investors assess stock suitability.
Reading earnings helps informed decision-making for portfolio adds or cuts.

Earnings reports are among the most important sources of information for stock investors. They provide important details about a business's current state, reveal key financial information, and may include forward-looking earnings and revenue projections, as well as commentary from the CEO or other company leaders.

Loading paragraph...

An infographic defining and explaining what earnings reports are and how they work. — Image source: The Motley Fool.

Loading image...

If you're invested in a particular stock, reading its quarterly and year-end earnings reports is one of the smartest things you can do to ensure your investment is still a good one. If you aren't invested in a company, reading through its recent earnings reports can help you analyze profitability, growth, financial conditions, and other important information to make educated decisions about whether a company would be a good fit for your portfolio.

What are earnings reports?

Earnings reports are (usually) quarterly releases that provide important details on a company's business operations and updated financial statements.

Publicly traded companies in the United States are generally required to issue earnings reports quarterly to disclose and discuss their business results to the investing community. They must be issued in a timely manner after the end of the reporting period.

Most (but not all) companies release their earnings reports within three to seven weeks after the end of the fiscal quarter. The period after each calendar quarter is often referred to as earnings season. In a company's earnings report, you can find information on its revenue (also known as top line), earnings (bottom line), and how specific parts of the company performed.

Loading paragraph...

Most companies provide commentary from senior leadership on the results, along with valuable context about future growth initiatives. These typically appear in both the written earnings report and an earnings conference call, which usually occurs within a day or so of the earnings report's release. Many provide forward-looking projections or guidance that indicate how management expects the business to perform in the coming quarter or for the full year.

Upcoming critical earnings reports in 2026

Thousands of stocks trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq stock exchange in the United States, and thousands more trade on over-the-counter (OTC) markets and on international stock exchanges. So, it's impossible for us to discuss all of them. However, here's a list of some of the most closely followed companies for earnings reports, along with their latest results and upcoming earnings dates.

Loading paragraph...

Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Market capMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.	Dividend yield	Industry
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN)	$2.7 trillion	0.00%	Multiline Retail
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)	$1.4 trillion	0.00%	Automobiles
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)	$3.8 trillion	0.72%	Software
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKB)	$1.1 trillion	0.00%	Diversified Financial Services
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)	$5.5 trillion	0.23%	Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)	$4.2 trillion	0.25%	Interactive Media and Services
Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP)	$190.8 billion	0.00%	IT Services
Block (NYSE:XYZ)	$44.5 billion	0.00%	Diversified Financial Services
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)	$1.9 trillion	0.28%	Interactive Media and Services
Nike (NYSE:NKE)	$53.2 billion	4.58%	Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods

Data as of Sep 30, 2026. Showing 10 of 10 total entries.

Loading ticker_table...

Recent important earnings reports

For the 10 stocks in the earnings calendar chart above, here's a rundown of how things went the last time they reported earnings.

1. Amazon

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: AMZN

Amazon

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

90/100

Today's Change

(0.21%) $0.52

Current Price

$246.67

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$2.7T

Day's Range

$245.14 - $248.84

52wk Range

$196.00 - $287.20

Volume

33.7M

Avg Vol

40.1M

Gross Margin

50.77%

Loading company_card...

Amazon (AMZN +0.21%) reported its second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 30, 2026, and the results were generally strong. Revenue and earnings both exceeded analysts' expectations, and the company's cost-cutting efforts drove strong margin expansion. Amazon's operating income rose 43% to $27.5 billion, and operating margin hit an all-time high of 13.7% in the quarter.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) was an especially strong point, with revenue up 37% year over year, its fastest growth in 18 quarters and the fifth consecutive quarter of acceleration.

One thing to keep an eye on is Amazon's capital expenditures, which have accelerated recently due to artificial intelligence (AI)-related investments in data centers and related equipment. Capex was $54.2 billion in the second quarter alone, up 68% year over year, and management now anticipates capital expenditures of $220 billion in 2026, up from $131 billion in 2025 and above the $200 billion figure guided a quarter earlier.

Amazon's next earnings report is expected in late October 2026.

2. Tesla

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: TSLA

Tesla

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

64/100

Today's Change

(-1.29%) $-4.61

Current Price

$352.84

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.4T

Day's Range

$351.67 - $358.74

52wk Range

$297.38 - $498.83

Volume

32.5M

Avg Vol

38.7M

Gross Margin

18.85%

Loading company_card...

In the second quarter of 2026, Tesla (TSLA -1.29%) reported a 26% year-over-year increase in revenue, but adjusted earnings per share of $0.33 fell well short of the roughly $0.53 analysts expected and declined 18% from a year ago. Margins were under pressure, as tax credits expired, operating expenses increased, and capital expenditures more than doubled.

Looking ahead, the company describes itself as entering "the largest investment period" in its history, with spending focused on AI, autonomy, robotics, and energy. Tesla's energy storage deployments grew 41% year-over-year, and have generated more than $100 billion in revenue over the past 12 months.

Tesla's next earnings report is expected on Oct. 28, 2026, after the market closes.

3. Microsoft

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: MSFT

Microsoft

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

92/100

Today's Change

(-0.05%) $-0.26

Current Price

$508.96

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$3.8T

Day's Range

$502.40 - $513.64

52wk Range

$349.20 - $553.72

Volume

21.3M

Avg Vol

29.3M

Gross Margin

67.94%

Dividend Yield

0.72%

Loading company_card...

In its fiscal fourth quarter of 2026 (its fiscal year ends June 30), Microsoft (MSFT -0.05%) reported $90 billion in total revenue, which handily topped expectations. Additionally, the company's forward guidance slightly beat analysts' expectations for the next fiscal quarter.

On the bottom line, Microsoft's earnings came in better than expected, with net profit of $4.74 per share. Azure revenue grew 43% year-over-year, up from 40% in the prior quarter. The standout figure from the report was Azure's contracted backlog, which grew by 84% to $678 billion. Microsoft also reported more than 30 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats, with net seat additions more than doubling sequentially.

Capital expenditures were about $41 billion in the quarter, and management expects fiscal 2027 capex to grow again and guided to roughly 45% Azure growth in constant currency for the current quarter.

Microsoft's next earnings report is expected on or about Oct. 28, 2026.

4. Berkshire Hathaway

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: BRKB

Berkshire Hathaway

Today's Change

(-0.15%) $-0.74

Current Price

$502.35

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.1T

Day's Range

$500.23 - $503.86

52wk Range

$464.01 - $537.74

Volume

3.2M

Avg Vol

4.3M

Gross Margin

23.52%

Loading company_card...

Berkshire Hathaway is one of the few companies that consistently report earnings on Saturdays, as management wants the market to have time to digest them before trading opens on Monday. In the second quarter of 2026, Berkshire NYSE:BRK.A (BRK.B -0.15%) reported an 16% year-over-year earnings increase in its operating businesses.

Manufacturing, service, and retailing earnings were the standout, growing 24% to $4.47 billion. Berkshire Hathaway Energy earned $891 million, up 27%. The BNSF railroad business added $1.56 billion, up 6%. Insurance was the weak spot: underwriting earnings fell 13% to $1.73 billion, and insurance investment income declined 9% to $3.06 billion.

The bigger story is capital deployment. New CEO Greg Abel repurchased roughly $4.5 billion of Berkshire stock in the quarter, and Berkshire became a net buyer of stocks after 14 straight quarters of net selling. The quarter also included the closing of the Taylor Morrison acquisition and a $9.7 billion deal for Occidental's OxyChem business. Cash and short-term investments declined to $365.5 billion from the record $397.4 billion at the end of the first quarter.

Berkshire Hathaway's next earnings report is expected in early November 2026.

5. Nvidia

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: NVDA

Nvidia

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

95/100

Today's Change

(-0.72%) $-1.65

Current Price

$227.21

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$5.5T

Day's Range

$227.03 - $232.82

52wk Range

$164.27 - $236.54

Volume

101.5M

Avg Vol

124.2M

Gross Margin

74.67%

Dividend Yield

0.23%

Loading company_card...

For the second quarter of its 2027 fiscal year (ending July 26), graphics chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA -0.72%) reported both revenue and earnings that handily surpassed expectations. It generated $96.2 billion in revenue, up 106% year-over-year, and adjusted earnings of $2.22 per share topped the $2.10 expected by analysts.

Management expects growth to swell even further in the current quarter, guiding to approximately $108 billion in revenue. CEO Jensen Huang told investors he expects roughly 70% revenue growth in fiscal 2028, far above analyst estimates.

Nvidia has been a major beneficiary of the surge in AI investment, which has fueled rapid growth in recent quarters. However, there are some concerns about the company's ability to sustain its margins. Nvidia guided third-quarter gross margin down to 74% from 75%, and said margins should bottom in the fourth quarter at 71% to 72%, driven in large part by memory scarcity created by the AI build-out itself.

Nvidia's next earnings report is expected in mid-to-late November 2026.

Loading paragraph...

6. Alphabet

NASDAQ: GOOG

Alphabet

Today's Change

(-0.54%) $-1.84

Current Price

$337.32

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$4.2T

Day's Range

$335.02 - $339.64

52wk Range

$236.69 - $404.47

Volume

14M

Avg Vol

18M

Gross Margin

60.94%

Dividend Yield

0.25%

Loading company_card...

In the second quarter of 2026, Alphabet (GOOG -0.54%) (GOOGL -0.53%) (better known for its main subsidiary, Google) reported both revenue and earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations. The company reported nearly $120 billion in revenue, up 24% year-over-year, an impressive growth rate for such a massive business.

Looking a little deeper, revenue from the fast-growing Google Cloud business handily beat expectations, growing 82% year-over-year, with segment operating income more than tripling to $8.8 billion. Google Cloud's backlog reached $514 billion. Google Search and other revenue grew 17% to $63.3 billion, while YouTube advertising revenue rose a bit slower by 13% to $11.1 billion.

It's also important to note that Alphabet anticipates capital expenditures of $195 billion to $205 billion for 2026, more than double its 2025 spending, primarily due to its AI growth strategy. Management warned that 2027 spending will increase significantly from these already high levels. It will be crucial to monitor and assess whether the company can achieve a strong return on its investment.

Alphabet's next earnings report is expected in late October 2026.

7. Shopify

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: SHOP

Shopify

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

88/100

Today's Change

(2.95%) $4.25

Current Price

$148.26

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$191B

Day's Range

$142.43 - $149.34

52wk Range

$94.00 - $182.19

Volume

8.7M

Avg Vol

9.5M

Gross Margin

47.61%

Loading company_card...

E-commerce service platform Shopify (SHOP +2.95%) issued excellent second-quarter results that handily beat expectations, fueled by a 32% surge in gross merchandise volume (GMV) to $115.6 billion. Revenue climbed 34% year over year to $3.58 billion, ahead of the roughly $3.45 billion analysts expected, and gross profit rose 31% to $1.71 billion. Free cash flow was $654 million, an 18% margin.

Guidance was a strong point. Shopify told investors to expect third-quarter revenue growth in the low-30s, sending the stock soaring after the report.

There are still concerns about discretionary spending, but Shopify is doing a great job of positioning itself for long-term success despite short-term headwinds. Revenue climbed by 34% year over year in the quarter, an acceleration over the prior quarter.

Shopify's next earnings report is expected in early November 2026.

Loading paragraph...

8. Block

NYSE: XYZ

Block

Today's Change

(1.01%) $0.74

Current Price

$74.05

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$44B

Day's Range

$72.86 - $74.49

52wk Range

$48.21 - $86.92

Volume

5.1M

Avg Vol

4.6M

Gross Margin

45.81%

Loading company_card...

Despite fears of lower consumer spending, fintech giant Block (XYZ +1.01%) (formerly Square) reported record profitability in its second quarter of 2026. Gross profit increased 25% year over year to $3.17 billion; adjusted operating income rose 57% to $864 million, achieving an all-time high 27% margin; and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.02 grew 65%. All of these were ahead of the company's own guidance.

Additionally, Block raised full-year 2026 earnings guidance, and the company's adjusted operating margin reached an all-time high of 28%.

Cash App remains the most interesting part of the story, but the main growth driver has shifted from growing the user base to monetizing its existing users. Monthly transacting active users grew just 3% year over year in June, and management expects only low-single-digit growth for 2026. So, the gross profit growth is coming from monetizing existing users through lending and commerce products rather than from adding new ones.

Block's next earnings report is expected in early November 2026.

9. Meta Platforms

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: META

Meta Platforms

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

78/100

Today's Change

(3.24%) $23.17

Current Price

$738.79

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.9T

Day's Range

$715.10 - $740.45

52wk Range

$520.26 - $779.82

Volume

23.6M

Avg Vol

20M

Gross Margin

81.75%

Dividend Yield

0.28%

Loading company_card...

Meta Platforms (META +3.24%), formerly known as Facebook, reported second-quarter 2026 earnings that handily beat expectations on both the top and bottom lines. Revenue in the quarter increased by 28% year over year, while earnings came in at $6.18 per share against the $7.22 analysts expected.

Meta narrowed guidance for its (mostly) AI-related capital expenditures, projecting they will be in the range of $130 billion to $145 billion for the full year 2026, far more than the $72 billion it spent in 2025. Management declined to provide a 2027 capex figure but said it plans to maximize capacity this year and next, suggesting higher spending ahead.

Meta's next earnings report is expected in late October 2026.

10. Nike

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: NKE

Nike

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

55/100

Today's Change

(-1.51%) $-0.55

Current Price

$35.84

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$53B

Day's Range

$35.67 - $36.43

52wk Range

$35.22 - $76.97

Volume

29M

Avg Vol

27.8M

Gross Margin

43.14%

Dividend Yield

4.58%

Loading company_card...

Nike (NKE -1.51%) is an iconic American brand whose business is currently undergoing a turnaround. The most recent results were better than feared, but there's more to the story.

In its fiscal fourth quarter (ending May 31), Nike reported revenue and earnings that exceeded expectations, although revenue declined by 1% year over year and net income fell. Diluted earnings per share of $0.72 blew past the $0.13 consensus, but included a $0.52 benefit related to the expected tariff refunds. Management points to progress in performance product as the most encouraging sign of the turnaround so far. It will be interesting to see whether a clearer inflection point starts to materialize as fiscal 2027 gets underway.

Nike's next earnings report is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026, after the market's close.

Loading paragraph...

Understanding key financial metrics in earnings reports

Earnings reports are a great way to spot profitability and growth trends in the companies you follow. The most obvious metrics to watch are revenue (sales) and earnings (net income), which are often referred to as the top and bottom lines, respectively.

Other key metrics in earnings reports include:

Profit margins (gross, operating, net)
Free cash flow
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA)
Guidance for the next quarter or year

Why are earnings reports important?

Earnings reports are important because:

They provide many important insights into the current state of the companies you invest in and clues about where those companies could be heading.
Earnings reports can help you spot growth trends, profit margin growth or contraction, balance sheet health, and management's outlook for the business going forward.
A company's key executives can provide context and commentary about the numbers you read in their earnings reports.

Loading paragraph...

Earnings Call

A conference call where a company's financial results and performance are discussed with analysts, investors, and the public.

Loading definition...

With most U.S. companies, earnings reports are the most up-to-date look investors will get at a company's business and financials. Reading the most recent earnings report is an important part of doing ongoing due diligence as a buy-and-hold investor and can help you find new investment opportunities.

Loading paragraph...

How to identify potential concerns in a company's earnings report

There's no perfect way to identify red flags in a company's earnings report, and it's important to evaluate any concerning information in the context of industry conditions, the macroeconomic environment, and other factors.

Having said that, here are a few things to watch out for:

Slowing earnings growth.
Missed guidance (revenue or earnings).
Reduced guidance.
Margin compression that isn't for some valid reason.

GAAP vs Non-GAAP earnings

You'll often see companies report two different earnings figures. GAAP earnings (also known as "net income") are the company's main earnings metric and are standardized among all companies. GAAP stands for "generally accepted accounting practices."

Many companies will also report adjusted earnings, which, as the name suggests, adjust for one-time items and non-cash charges. Stock-based compensation is one example of an expense that is reflected in GAAP earnings but not in adjusted earnings. The idea is that adjusted earnings give a more accurate picture of the company's actual bottom-line profitability (although non-cash charges like stock-based compensation are certainly important to know.

Loading paragraph...

Earnings reports FAQ

Loading faq...

About the Author

Matt Frankel, CFP®, is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst specializing in the real estate and financial sectors. Prior to The Motley Fool, Matt taught high school and college mathematics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in mathematics from Nova Southeastern University, and a graduate certificate in financial planning from Florida State University. He won a SABEW award for coverage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He is also regularly interviewed by Cheddar, Globe St, The National Desk, and other TV networks and publications for his real estate, financial, stock market, and investing expertise.

TMFMattFrankel

@MattFrankelUSC

Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Matt Frankel, CFP has positions in Amazon, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway, Block, and Shopify and has the following options: short January 2027 $170 calls on Shopify. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Block, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nike, Nvidia, Shopify, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Upcoming Earnings Reports in 2026

Key Points

What are earnings reports?

Upcoming critical earnings reports in 2026

Recent important earnings reports

1. Amazon

Key Data Points

2. Tesla

Key Data Points

3. Microsoft

Key Data Points

4. Berkshire Hathaway

Key Data Points

5. Nvidia

Key Data Points

6. Alphabet

Key Data Points

7. Shopify

Key Data Points

8. Block

Key Data Points

9. Meta Platforms

Key Data Points

10. Nike

Key Data Points

Why are earnings reports important?

Related investing topics

Revenue vs. Profit: What's the Difference?

A History of U.S. Stock Market Crashes

Stock Market Basics for Beginners

How to Buy Cava Stock (CAVA) and What Investors Should Know Before They Do

How to identify potential concerns in a company's earnings report

GAAP vs Non-GAAP earnings

Earnings reports FAQ

Are company earnings and income the same?

Are company earnings and income the same?

Can earnings reports predict a company's future performance?

Can earnings reports predict a company's future performance?

Should you buy stock before an earnings report?

Should you buy stock before an earnings report?

How do investors use earnings reports?

How do investors use earnings reports?

What time are earnings reports released?

What time are earnings reports released?

Where can I find earnings reports?

Where can I find earnings reports?

How much do earnings reports affect stock prices?

How much do earnings reports affect stock prices?

About the Author

Read Next

Stocks Mentioned

Motley Fool Stock Advisor’s Latest Pick

Premium Investing Services

What are earnings reports?

Upcoming critical earnings reports in 2026

Recent important earnings reports

1. Amazon

Key Data Points

2. Tesla

Key Data Points

3. Microsoft

Key Data Points

4. Berkshire Hathaway

Key Data Points

5. Nvidia

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

7. Shopify

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

9. Meta Platforms

Key Data Points

10. Nike

Key Data Points

Why are earnings reports important?

Revenue vs. Profit: What's the Difference?

A History of U.S. Stock Market Crashes

Stock Market Basics for Beginners

How to Buy Cava Stock (CAVA) and What Investors Should Know Before They Do

How to identify potential concerns in a company's earnings report