Earnings Calendar 2026

A corporate earnings report — filed with the SEC as Form 10-Q (quarterly) or 10-K (annual) — is the most comprehensive source of financial information for a publicly traded company. While the full filing runs hundreds of pages, Wall Street focuses on a handful of key metrics that determine whether the stock moves up or down on earnings day.

The most-watched figure is Earnings Per Share (EPS) — specifically Non-GAAP (adjusted) EPS, which excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of intangibles, and one-time charges. Analysts compile consensus EPS estimates via providers like FactSet and Bloomberg; a company that beats consensus by even $0.01 is considered a "beat." In a typical quarter, approximately 72% of S&P 500 companies beat EPS estimates, a phenomenon sometimes called "low-balling" guidance. (Source: FactSet Earnings Insight, Q1 2025.)

The second key figure is revenue (top-line). A company can beat EPS by cutting costs even while revenue disappoints — in that case, the market often reacts negatively despite the headline EPS beat. Revenue growth signals pricing power, market share, and demand health.

Forward guidance frequently drives more stock movement than past results. Markets are forward-looking: a company can report excellent past-quarter results but fall sharply if it guides below Wall Street expectations. Conversely, a miss on past results can be forgiven if guidance is raised.

The four annual earnings seasons are when the bulk of S&P 500 companies report quarterly results. They begin with large banks (typically JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup) and end with retailers and late-reporters. About 80% of S&P 500 companies report within 4 weeks of quarter-end.

The immediate stock price reaction to earnings is determined by the size of the surprise relative to market expectations — but also by the quality of the beat or miss. A beat driven by tax benefits or asset sales carries less weight than one driven by organic revenue growth. Similarly, a revenue miss accompanied by strong margin expansion may be viewed positively.

The options market is a useful proxy for expected post-earnings moves. Before earnings, implied volatility (IV) rises sharply, causing options to be expensive. Market makers price in an "expected move" — typically the straddle price (ATM call + ATM put) for the nearest expiry. For S&P 500 large-caps, this expected move averages 4-6%. Mega-cap tech stocks like NVIDIA (NVDA) can have expected moves of 8-12% heading into earnings. (Source: Goldman Sachs Derivatives Research.)

Post-earnings, the stock "pins" to the actual reaction, and IV collapses — a phenomenon called "IV crush" that options sellers exploit. Long options positions bought before earnings frequently lose money even if the stock moves significantly, because the IV collapse offsets the directional gain.

Earnings dates are announced by companies directly. The most authoritative sources are the company's own Investor Relations page and SEC EDGAR filings. Third-party aggregators (Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, FactSet) are convenient but occasionally list estimated dates before the official announcement.