What is Third Quarter Profit?

399 reads · Last updated: December 5, 2024

Third quarter profit refers to the profit earned by a company in the third quarter (July 1st to September 30th) of a year. By comparing the profits of different quarters, the company's operating conditions and performance can be evaluated.

Definition

Third quarter profit refers to the profit a company earns during the third quarter of the year, from July 1 to September 30. By comparing profits across different quarters, one can assess the company's operational status and performance.

Origin

The concept of quarterly profit reporting originated from the need for financial reporting in businesses, helping investors and management understand a company's financial performance over different periods. As modern business management and investment analysis became more complex, quarterly reporting became standard practice.

Categories and Features

Quarterly profits can be categorized into actual profits and adjusted profits. Actual profits reflect the true earnings of a company during the quarter, while adjusted profits account for the impact of non-recurring items. Third quarter profits are often influenced by seasonal factors, such as increased sales in the retail sector before the holiday season.

Case Studies

For example, Apple Inc. often uses the third quarter as a preparation period for new product launches, which may affect profits due to research and development and marketing expenses. Another example is Walmart, whose third quarter profits may increase due to the approaching holiday shopping season.

Common Issues

Investors often misunderstand the volatility of quarterly profits, expecting stable growth each quarter. However, seasonal factors and changing market conditions can lead to fluctuations in quarterly profits.

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Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) are products that sell quickly at relatively low cost. FMCGs have a short shelf life because of high consumer demand (e.g., soft drinks and confections) or because they are perishable (e.g., meat, dairy products, and baked goods).They are bought often, consumed rapidly, priced low, and sold in large quantities. They also have a high turnover on store shelves. The largest FMCG companies by revenue are among the best known, such as Nestle SA. (NSRGY) ($99.32 billion in 2023 earnings) and PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) ($91.47 billion). From the 1980s up to the early 2010s, the FMCG sector was a paradigm of stable and impressive growth; annual revenue was consistently around 9% in the first decade of this century, with returns on invested capital (ROIC) at 22%.