Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FOR COMMUNICATING
QUARTERLY EARNINGS
Page 1
Page 2
Articles are more likely to be written when the stock price reacts significantly.
If a company is in the news cycle for another reason (product news, executive
moves, investor challenges), quarterly earnings are more likely to be covered.
Larger companies are likely to attract more stories with higher word count.
Reporters do quote comments from earnings calls, but they quote the press
release more frequently.
Almost all stories compare reported results to the last years earnings from the
same period.
Most stories refer to consensus and whether or not companies beat estimates.
Some companies receive dedicated coverage (standalone articles), whereas
others are grouped in industry round-ups.
A companys performance is often compared to peers, so date of earnings
announcement dates matters within a specific sector.
Outlets compete to be first with news, so key metrics are often plugged into
standard story templates that may be updated with more context later.
Almost half of
earnings stories
include quotations
from press release
Page 3
Outlet Detail:
WIRES
Best practice is to
ensure the beat
reporters have a full
background on the
company.
Reporters are
looking to write
about a marketmoving aspect of
results or about how
results are relevant
to topical market
trends.
CEO access will help
gain interest.
Well-known
companies take
priority.
Covers when there is high activity on terminals for news about the company.
Well-known companies of interest will consistently get earnings coverage.
Page 4
Outlet Detail:
BUSINESS
PRINT
Prefer embargoed
press release.
CEO interview will
draw beat reporter.
Include product news,
but event(s) can take
center stage over
earnings.
Great chance of
pickup if release
issued in the morning.
Real-time news desk is staffed with reporters to write based on the release.
Beat reporters are putting less emphasis on ordinary real-time news.
Editors push for perspective from analysts, investors, customers or
former employees.
Visuals are created on a case by case basis.
Special attention is often paid to those companies that raise or lower their
profit/sales forecasts (reporters are trained to look out for this).
Reporter will always mention analysts estimates (consensus).
A CEO interview can determine whether or not a beat reporter gets involved
in the story.
Morning stocks roundup typically includes companies that reported that
morning or are scheduled to report that day.
Consistent story
elements.
Page 5
Beat reporters typically pick up the coverage of the earnings report if the
company is a major multinational.
Special attention is often paid to those companies that raise or lower their
profit/sales forecasts (reporters trained to look out for this).
Page 6
The largest corporations are more likely to get coverage, but that is not
always guaranteed.
The business editor does not view earnings coverage as core to the section.
Reporters may cover a companys earnings one quarter but not the next.
Outlet Detail:
LOCAL PRINT
Local publications
may cover the large
companies in their
area.
Unlike the wires
and business
print, stories are
more likely to be
customized.
Page 7
Outlet Detail:
ONLINE
Retail outlets like
Seeking Alpha
and TheStreet.
com are becoming
more popular and
influential.
These outlets cover
earnings similar to
wire outlets. They
will however often
provide more context
around the numbers.
Sometimes written
off press releases,
but pieces are
increasingly
including analysis.
Outlet Detail:
BUSINESS TV
Beat/missed estimates.
Covers earnings
of well-known
companies and
companies that see
stock movement
post-announcement.
Industry guidance/trends.
Sometimes earnings are mentioned on-air, but more often key metrics are
displayed quickly on screen.
Page 8
ON EARNINGS DAY
Issue press release before or after market hours in order to get picked up in market roundup stories.
Reach out to provide release, images and any other material.
Consider interviews with company executives to add further perspective and provide unique quotations for
stories:
Exclusive one-on-one interviews are most likely to draw interest.
Companies with a large media following can alternatively consider hosting a media call to which they
can invite a group of reporters at the same time.
Monitor coverage in real time and have plan in place for immediate outreach to ensure accuracy;
outlets are more likely to make a correction if contacted in timely fashion.
Page 9
CONTACT EDELMAN
http://www.EdelmanFinComms.com
Page 10