Earnings Season - Key Dates

When is Earnings Season?

Earnings season takes place quarterly when the majority of corporations file their financial reports.  Earnings season takes place at the end of January, April, July and October.  While earnings season contains the majority of company filings, it is not all inclusive as each company can select when to file their quarterly reports.  So, some filings will occur in between each earning season.

What Starts Earnings Season?

Alcoa is the unofficial leader of the earnings season.  The stock is one of the oldest stocks listed on the Dow Jones and reports its financials at the end of each quarter.  While their is an unofficial start to the earnings season, there is no clear end date.  The general rule of thumb is that the earnings season ends 6 weeks after Alcoa reports earnings.

Characteristics of Earnings Season

Earnings season can generate a lot of volatility in the market.  It is not common for the VIX to have a number of spikes during earning season.  The most volatile of all earnings seasons is in late October, which is also the bottom for many bear markets.  It is often strong earnings reports from market leaders that can act as a catalyst for the market.