IBM
What are earnings and why do they matter?
Every publicly traded company is required to report its financial results four times per year — once per quarter. These quarterly earnings reports show how much revenue the company generated and how much profit it made (or lost) during that period. Earnings announcements are among the most closely watched events in the stock market because they give investors a clear picture of whether a company is growing, stagnant, or declining.
When a company like IBM reports earnings, the stock price typically moves based on whether actual results beat, meet, or miss analyst expectations. A better-than-expected report often sends the stock higher, while a disappointment can lead to sharp declines. The direction and magnitude of that post-earnings move is what makes earnings dates especially significant for options traders and short-term investors.
The countdown above shows exactly how many days remain until IBM's next scheduled earnings announcement. Whether that announcement comes before market open (BM) or after market close (AH) affects how trading volume and price discovery unfold — and it's one of the key inputs options traders use when building their strategies around earnings season.
Understanding Before Market (BM) vs After Market (AH)
Earnings announcements that happen before market open (BM) give traders the full trading day to react to the news. These reports are typically released early in the morning and the stock price moves immediately when the market opens at 9:30 AM ET.
Earnings announced after market close (AH) happen when the regular trading session has ended. After-hours trading typically sees lower volume but larger percentage moves because fewer participants are active. The real price discovery often happens the following morning, giving AH reporters a full day for the market to digest the numbers before regular trading resumes.