Earnings Season
The 4–6 week window each quarter when most public companies report results. Runs approximately January, April, July, and October.
Earnings season is the concentrated period — roughly 4–6 weeks after each calendar quarter ends — when the majority of S&P 500 companies release their quarterly earnings reports. The US earnings calendar peaks in mid-to-late January, April, July, and October.
During earnings season, volatility across the market rises as each major report can ripple through its sector. A disappointing result from a bellwether (e.g., a major retailer) can reprice every company in the group even before they report.
Traders track the calendar closely to avoid holding options through binary earnings events — or to position specifically for earnings reactions using strategies like straddles or ratio spreads.