Banking & Stocks

As a journalist, you may not have to deal with math like this, but math is still part of the job. This crib sheet should help. ("School" image by "sandid" via Pixabay, CCO Public Domain)

Newsroom math crib sheet

Arizona State University professor Steve Doig, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his data-based reporting at the Miami Herald, welcomes scores of journalism students to his

Piggy bank surrounded by coins

Unbanked facts to jump-start a business story

Most personal finance coverage assumes that consumers have access to credit cards and checking and savings accounts, but that’s not always the case. In fact, research

The Fed's interest continuing rate creep comes with solid personal finance story ideas for reporters. (Image from "Republica" via Pixabay, CCO Public Domain)

Interest rates and your readers

A quarter-percentage-point here, a quarter-percentage-point there. The Federal Reserve has been raising short-term interest rates so slowly that many consumers haven’t felt the pinch yet.

Reading a corporate earnings report is a valuable reporter's skill; here are four pitfalls to avoid. (Image by "epicantus" via Pixabay, CCO Public Domain)

Corporate earnings mistakes to avoid

Reading through and reporting on a company’s quarterly report can be a challenging project for business journalists. Here are four tips for avoiding some common

Earnings Per Share and the value of a share don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. ("Long Dock Company Stock Certificate 1860s" by William Cresswell via Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Earnings per share and share price

Market watchers analyze and discuss earnings per share (EPS) more than any other financial measure. Managers talk about EPS when they announce earnings and often

Companies use a couple of methods to do their sums. Journalists need to consider both. ("Abacus" image by JD via Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

GAAP vs. Pro-Forma Earnings

A company’s finances are sometimes presented in two forms: a more conservative form, which falls in line with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and a

Looking at a company's finances include tangible assets: PP&E. (Image by "Barescar90" via Pixabay, CCO Public Domain)

Property, plant & equipment

Property, plant and equipment is a large asset for many companies. Here’s help in analyzing PP&E figures on a balance sheet. The basics of PP&E

With the possibility of new rules on retirement funds, business reporters should tackle the topic. ("Look left, look right" image by Franck Michel via Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

New rules on retirement savings

“Auto-IRA” plans are now in legal limbo for millions of U.S. workers. President Trump recently repealed a 2016 resolution from the U.S. Department of Labor

Company books and calculator.

Analyzing gross profits

Gross profits measure the difference between the money a business makes from selling goods or services (its revenue), and the cost of producing those goods or services.

10-Q filings tell a business reporter plenty about a company's financial health. (Calculator image by Alexander Stein via Pixabay, CCO Public Domain)

10-Q essentials

The 10-Q, a publicly traded company’s quarterly report filed with the SEC, is a multi-purpose tool. You can use it to break news, to get a

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