EarningsTape — Blog

The EarningsTape Blog

Plain-English guides for reading U.S. earnings releases — how the filings work, what the headline numbers really mean, and how to interpret market reactions.

Filings

How to Read an 8-K Earnings Filing

A walk-through of the structure of a typical 8-K earnings release: what Item 2.02 is, how press-release exhibits are attached, which numbers to look for, and common red flags in the language companies use.

8 min read
Interpretation

Beat or Miss? What Earnings Headlines Really Mean

"Apple beats!" or "Tesla misses!" — but what is the company beating or missing? A breakdown of analyst consensus, how the estimate is built, and why a "beat" can still send a stock down 10% in after-hours trading.

7 min read
Timing

Pre-Market vs After-Hours Earnings: Why Timing Matters

Why do some companies report before the open and others after the close? How the timing changes which traders can react first, how the gap forms overnight, and what to watch in the first 30 minutes after a print.

6 min read

More posts coming soon. Have a topic you want covered? Reach out via the contact page.