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 Jul 13, 2026 at 4:14 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Earnings reports detail company performance, often revised quarterly, and are crucial for investment decisions.
They highlight revenue, profits, and management's future expectations, guiding investor strategy.
Investors use these reports to track financial health and operational progress, influencing buy or sell actions.

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.

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

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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.

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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)	$2.5 trillion	0.00%	Multiline Retail
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)	$1.2 trillion	0.00%	Automobiles
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)	$2.9 trillion	0.91%	Software
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKB)	$1.1 trillion	0.00%	Diversified Financial Services
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)	$4.8 trillion	0.14%	Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)	$4.1 trillion	0.25%	Interactive Media and Services
Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP)	$169.1 billion	0.00%	IT Services
Block (NYSE:XYZ)	$49.5 billion	0.00%	Diversified Financial Services
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)	$1.5 trillion	0.35%	Interactive Media and Services
Nike (NYSE:NKE)	$63.9 billion	3.79%	Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods

Data as of Jul 29, 2026. Showing 10 of 10 total entries.

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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

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NASDAQ: AMZN

Amazon

Today's Change

(-0.53%) $-1.22

Current Price

$229.64

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$2.5T

Day's Range

$227.19 - $230.24

52wk Range

$196.00 - $278.56

Volume

15.3M

Avg Vol

48.6M

Gross Margin

50.60%

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Amazon (AMZN -0.59%) reported its first-quarter 2026 earnings on April 29, 2026, and the results were generally strong. Revenue and earnings both exceeded analysts' expectations, and the company's cost-cutting efforts drove excellent profit margin growth.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) was an especially strong point, with revenue up 28% year over year, accelerating from the previous rate. Amazon's operating margin hit an all-time high of 13.1% in the quarter.

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. Management has stated that the company anticipates capital expenditures to rise to $200 billion in 2026, up from $131 billion in 2025.

Amazon's next earnings report is expected on or about July 30, 2026.

2. Tesla

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NASDAQ: TSLA

Tesla

Today's Change

(-1.88%) $-5.80

Current Price

$301.65

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.2T

Day's Range

$299.70 - $309.06

52wk Range

$297.82 - $498.83

Volume

18.2M

Avg Vol

47.9M

Gross Margin

18.85%

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In the first quarter of 2026, Tesla (TSLA -1.88%) reported a 16% year-over-year increase in revenue, and adjusted EPS significantly beat expectations thanks to the strongest gross margin Tesla has produced in five quarters. Looking ahead, the company is focusing on robotics, automation, and other futuristic products, with Model S production ending and its factory being converted for robotics production.

Tesla's next earnings report is expected on July 22, 2026, after the market closes.

3. Microsoft

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NASDAQ: MSFT

Microsoft

Today's Change

(0.49%) $1.94

Current Price

$395.29

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$2.9T

Day's Range

$388.74 - $396.00

52wk Range

$349.20 - $555.45

Volume

14.5M

Avg Vol

39.1M

Gross Margin

68.31%

Dividend Yield

0.91%

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In its fiscal third quarter of 2026 (its fiscal year ends June 30), Microsoft (MSFT +0.51%) reported $82.9 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 $4.27 per share. Azure revenue grew 40% year-over-year, up from 39% in the prior quarter. Microsoft's AI business surpassed an annual run-rate of $37 billion in revenue, up 123% year-over-year, making its expected $190 billion in 2026 capex seem like a good use of capital.

Microsoft's next earnings report is expected on or about July 29, 2026.

4. Berkshire Hathaway

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NYSE: BRKB

Berkshire Hathaway

Today's Change

(-0.52%) $-2.66

Current Price

$509.71

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.1T

Day's Range

$508.40 - $513.36

52wk Range

$455.19 - $516.85

Volume

1.5M

Avg Vol

Gross Margin

23.70%

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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 first quarter of 2026, Berkshire NYSE:BRK.A (BRK.B -0.56%) reported an 18% year-over-year earnings increase in its operating businesses, mainly due to strong underwriting profits from insurance.

New CEO Greg Abel and his team were active in the stock market in the first quarter, accumulating a sizable position in Alphabet, the parent of Google. Berkshire reported cash and short-term investments balance totaling $397.4 billion, which gives the company unparalleled financial flexibility going forward.

Berkshire Hathaway's next earnings report is expected on Aug. 3, 2026.

5. Nvidia

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NASDAQ: NVDA

Nvidia

Today's Change

(-2.70%) $-5.32

Current Price

$191.69

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$4.8T

Day's Range

$190.68 - $197.07

52wk Range

$164.07 - $236.54

Volume

60.4M

Avg Vol

153.8M

Gross Margin

74.15%

Dividend Yield

0.14%

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For the first quarter of its 2027 fiscal year (ending Jan. 2027), graphics chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA -2.59%) reported both revenue and earnings that handily surpassed expectations. It generated $81.6 billion in revenue, up 85% year-over-year, and management expects this to swell even further in the current quarter. Nvidia's data center revenue continued to grow rapidly, rising 92% year over year in the quarter, driven by a surge in demand for AI chips.

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 growth. On the other hand, the industries it serves are expected to expand significantly over the next decade, potentially leading to substantial profit growth in the years ahead.

Nvidia's next earnings report is expected in late August 2026.

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6. Alphabet

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NASDAQ: GOOG

Alphabet

Today's Change

(0.69%) $2.30

Current Price

$334.90

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$4.1T

Day's Range

$330.41 - $335.67

52wk Range

$188.70 - $404.47

Volume

6.7M

Avg Vol

22.6M

Gross Margin

60.94%

Dividend Yield

0.26%

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In the first quarter of 2026, Alphabet (GOOG +0.69%) (GOOGL +0.71%) (better known for its main subsidiary, Google) reported both revenue and earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations. The company reported nearly $110 billion in revenue, up 22% 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 63% year-over-year, although YouTube advertising revenue fell a bit short. It's also important to note that Alphabet anticipates capital expenditures of $175 billion to $185 billion for 2026, more than double its 2025 spending, primarily due to its AI growth strategy. 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 on or about July 22, 2026.

7. Shopify

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NASDAQ: SHOP

Shopify

Today's Change

(0.05%) $0.06

Current Price

$130.34

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$169B

Day's Range

$128.22 - $131.39

52wk Range

$94.00 - $182.19

Volume

Avg Vol

10.4M

Gross Margin

47.80%

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E-commerce service platform Shopify (SHOP +0.05%) issued excellent first-quarter results that handily beat expectations, fueled by a 35% surge in gross merchandise volume (GMV). The company provided softer guidance for the second quarter, causing the stock to fall 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 fourth quarter, an acceleration over the prior quarter.

Shopify's next earnings report is expected on or about Aug. 5, 2026.

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8. Block

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NYSE: XYZ

Block

Today's Change

(-0.84%) $-0.70

Current Price

$82.41

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$49B

Day's Range

$81.69 - $84.02

52wk Range

$48.21 - $84.08

Volume

2.2M

Avg Vol

5.8M

Gross Margin

44.30%

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Despite fears of lower consumer spending, fintech giant Block (XYZ -0.92%) (formerly Square) reported solid first-quarter 2025 results across its business. Gross profit increased 27% year over year, revenue slightly beat expectations, and the company is much more profitable than a year ago.

Additionally, Block raised full-year 2026 earnings guidance, and the company's adjusted operating margin reached an all-time high of 25%. The combination of these two factors drove the stock higher after the earnings release. Block's Cash App Card is a particularly interesting point to watch. It is growing its active user base rapidly and creating many opportunities to cross-sell new products.

Block's next earnings report is expected ijn early August 2026.

9. Meta Platforms

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NASDAQ: META

Meta Platforms

Today's Change

(-0.10%) $-0.61

Current Price

$592.81

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.5T

Day's Range

$585.25 - $594.55

52wk Range

$520.26 - $796.25

Volume

5.9M

Avg Vol

18.2M

Gross Margin

81.94%

Dividend Yield

0.35%

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Meta Platforms (META -0.11%), formerly known as Facebook, reported first-quarter 2026 earnings that handily beat expectations on both the top and bottom lines. Revenue in the quarter increased by 33% year over year, the company's fastest growth rate since 2021. Despite higher capex related to its AI strategy, Meta reported solid earnings-per-share growth.

Meta gave guidance for its (mostly) AI-related capital expenditures, projecting they will be in the range of $125 billion to $145 billion for the full year 2026, far more than the $72 billion it spent in 2025 and a significant increase over previous guidance.

Meta's next earnings report is expected on or about July 29, 2026.

10. Nike

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NYSE: NKE

Nike

Today's Change

(-1.13%) $-0.49

Current Price

$42.57

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$64B

Day's Range

$42.40 - $42.96

52wk Range

$40.00 - $80.17

Volume

6.4M

Avg Vol

23.1M

Gross Margin

43.14%

Dividend Yield

3.79%

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Nike (NKE -1.08%) is an iconic American brand whose business is currently in the early stages of a turnaround. But the recent results look quite promising.

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. However, the company had previously warned that mid-2025 would be the "low point" of its turnaround, so it will be interesting to see whether an inflection point starts to materialize as the year goes on

Nike's next earnings report is expected in late September 2026.

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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.

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Earnings Call

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

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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.

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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.

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Earnings reports FAQ

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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

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

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Premium Investing Services

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?

What are earnings reports?

Recent important earnings reports

1. Amazon

6. Alphabet

8. Block

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

Upcoming critical earnings reports in 2026

Key Data Points

Key Data Points