What Is an Earnings Conference Call?
The earnings conference call is a way for companies to relay information to all interested parties, including institutional and individual investors, as well as buy- and sell-side analysts.
Conference calls allow companies to highlight successes during prosperous times and calm fears during adverse ones. The most popular time for companies to conduct these calls is immediately following the release of financial results, typically at the end of each quarter.These are known as quarterly earnings results conference calls.
While news releases,research reports, and the latestearningsare all good sources of information, savvy investors should also study companies' conference calls.
Key Takeaways
- Earnings conference calls are a formal way for companies to relay information to interested parties, including institutional investors, individual investors, and financial analysts.
- Conference calls allow companies to highlight successes during prosperous times and calm fears during adverse ones.
- Companies most often conduct earnings conference calls immediately following the release of financial results, typically at the end of each quarter.
- Real-time online streaming has allowed average investors to access conference calls, which can be found easily on the investor relations sections of companies' websites.
- Conference call audio is generally available on-demand after the completion of the call.
Understanding Earnings Conference Calls
During a conference call, investors and analysts can call in over the phone or listen online to hear a company's management comment on the financial results of a recently completed quarter. Mostpublic companieshold four calls per year, usually within a monthafter the completion of a quarter. Conference calls are also known asanalystcalls, earnings conference calls, andearnings calls.
In the past, calls were only made available toWall Streetanalysts andinstitutional investors. However, thanks to the accessibility of the calls online, almost all public companies allowindividual investors to listen in on the call or to hear a recording of the call, usually available the same day the call takes place.
How an Earnings Conference Call Works
Conference calls generally follow the same structure. The call begins with the conference's operator, or host, who introduces the management team.
Calls usually continue with the vice-president of investor relationsor a member of the company's legal teamoutlining the conduct of the call and acknowledging that the call will probably contain "future-looking statements," or predictions about the future of the business, which is of course always uncertain. By acknowledging future-looking statements, the company reminds investors not to assume that everything discussed in the call will happen for certain.
The next item of importance is the raw financial data, such as reported or projected earnings andrevenues. Management typically reports the key financial information, summarizing the company's bottom-line performance, and augmenting it with commentary. Much of the information presented in this portion of the call is readily available inpress releases.
Conference call participants usually include the chair, CEO, CFO, and—depending on the company and the events under discussion—various other executives. These individuals provide an overview of all the major issues that affected the company's performance during the last quarter. Discussions oftenalso cover what can be expected from the company inupcoming quarters.
A conference call generally ends with a question and answer period, when analysts and investors can ask informed questions regarding the company.Most analysts and investors agree this is probably the most important part of the entire conference call, as analysts are able to pose questions to management about any area of the company's performance that wasn't clear or that requires elaboration.
As an individual investor, you probably won't get to ask your own personal questions.Keep in mind that there are often thousands of people on a conference call, and it would be impossible for the management to answer everybody. However, if you listen to the analysts' questions, your question will most likely be answered.
What to Listen for on Earnings Conference Calls
Even though conference calls are live events, the discussion from the CEO and CFO at the beginning of the call is mostly a recap of company press releases. Remember thatfinancial statementsgive a snapshot only of how the company did in the past. The analysis and projections in a conference call tell you how the company is doing currently and how the management expects performance to be in the future.
Significant deviations in performance from previous estimatesor material revisions of future estimatesare key details to be concerned with, and it's a good idea to listen to management's commentary regarding them. Some analysts and investors believe that by focusing on the tone and the manner in which the message is delivered, further information can be gained about the company and its future.
Listening to all the analysts' questions can provide you with great insight into any major concerns professionalmoney managershave about the company. Pay close attention to how the company's management responds. The analysts' questions are neither rehearsed nor submitted before the conference call, so this is your chance to see how candidly and confidently top management can back up the company's performance under pressure.
There have been countless cases of a company's management fumbling a question during a conference call, thus causing the stock to be punished in the following days.
More than anything, conference calls can be used to get a gut feel for the company's management. You can read about projected earnings in various financial publications, but numbers on paper can never convey the tone of a CEO's voice. Listen to the mood ofmanagement as well as that of the analysts asking questions. Notice if this mood has changed from past quarters and think about what might have caused a change.
The more conference calls you hear, the more you'll develop a good sense of how to distinguish between strong and weak management.
How to Listen to Earnings Conference Calls
Real-time online streaming has opened up the broadcasting of conference calls to the average investor, allowing individualsto participate in or simply listen to the calls. You can usually find them in the investor relations section of companies' websites, among other places.
They are also usually available online as audio that can be listened to on-demand after the completion of the call. Some companies also have publicly-accessible archives dating back several years. You can easily find out when companies are holding their calls by visiting the various online stock research sites.
The key is to distinguish between what is strictlyboilerplateconference call speak and what is useful information. The more calls you listen to, the better you will get at deciphering them. Although a lot of information on the conference calls can be easily accessed elsewhere, calls can also yield important tidbits of information—especially in the question and answer period—that can help you learn more about a potential investment.
