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Guide

How to Download Quarterly Financial Statements and Calculate Year-over-Year Growth

By TheFinanceBase Team 11 min read

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For a U.S. public company, download the target quarter’s Form 10-Q from the SEC’s EDGAR system or the issuer’s investor-relations filing page. Compare the metric for that fiscal quarter with the same fiscal quarter one year earlier, then calculate ((current − prior) ÷ prior) × 100. Keep the period, duration, currency, scale, accounting definition and statement type identical, and report both the percentage and absolute change.

What you are downloading: the Form 10-Q

A Form 10-Q is a U.S. public company’s quarterly report. It combines interim financial statements with management’s explanation of material changes, risks and trends. SEC requirements generally include a balance sheet at the prior fiscal year-end and interim statements for the most recent quarter and the comparable period from the prior year. That comparative presentation is why the same-quarter-last-year method is normally the cleanest quarterly comparison.

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Quarterly figures are not all the same kind of measurement. An income statement and a cash-flow statement cover activity over a period, such as three or nine months. A balance sheet reports amounts at one date, usually the quarter-end. Treating a three-month revenue figure, a nine-month year-to-date figure and a quarter-end cash balance as interchangeable will produce a misleading result.

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What the three primary statements tell you

Statement What it measures Typical quarterly use
Income statement Revenue, expenses, operating income, net income and other results over a specified period Compare the current three-month quarter with the same three-month quarter a year earlier
Balance sheet Assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity at a fixed date Compare the current quarter-end with the corresponding prior-year quarter-end
Cash-flow statement Cash generated and used by operating, investing and financing activities over a period Compare matching three-month or year-to-date periods, keeping the duration constant

The SEC’s investor guide defines an income statement as “a report that shows how much revenue a company earned over a specific time period (usually for a year or some portion of a year).” It describes a balance sheet as showing “a snapshot of a company’s assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity at the end of the reporting period.” A cash-flow statement tracks the exchange of money between the company and the outside world over a period. Read all three together, then use the notes and Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) to understand why a number changed.

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Where to find a company’s quarterly statements

SEC EDGAR

EDGAR is the authoritative filing database for U.S. public companies. Search by the company’s legal name or ticker, open the issuer’s filing list, and filter the form type to 10-Q. Select the filing whose “period of report” matches the fiscal quarter you want to analyze. The filing date is when the report was submitted; the period ended date identifies the financial period being reported. Those dates are often different.

The investor-relations website

Most issuers maintain an “Investor Relations,” “Financial Information” or “SEC Filings” page that mirrors EDGAR. A filing page may offer the same report in HTML, DOC, PDF, XLS, an XBRL viewer and raw XBRL. The mirror can be convenient, but retain the SEC accession number and filing date so another reader can locate the exact submission later.

Which filing belongs to the quarter?

Use the issuer’s fiscal calendar, not an assumption that every company’s quarter ends in March, June, September and December. A retailer, for example, may use a 52- or 53-week year. Check the “three months ended” or “nine months ended” label on the statement and record the exact period ended date. If the company filed an amended 10-Q, confirm whether you are using the original or amended accession and note what changed.

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Choose a download format

Format Best for Advantages Checks and limitations
HTML Reading and copying a few figures Searchable, quickly loaded and usually the easiest way to navigate notes and MD&A Tables can wrap on screen; preserve the filing identity and period labels when copying
PDF A fixed-page archive or a human review package Preserves pagination and the visual presentation Text extraction can scramble columns; verify every copied value against the displayed table
XLS Recurring spreadsheet work Convenient tabular layout for sorting, formulas and repeat calculations Inspect units, hidden rows, labels and whether values are quarterly-only or year-to-date
XBRL viewer Reviewing tagged facts interactively Lets you inspect concepts, periods, dimensions and units Display labels may differ from the statement; dimensions and extensions require review
Raw XBRL Automated or machine-assisted extraction Structured facts support repeatable pipelines and broader data sets Verify tags, units, decimals, contexts, dimensions and company-specific extensions

For a one-off manual check, HTML is usually fastest. For a model you will update every quarter, XLS or XBRL is more repeatable. Keep a PDF or filed HTML copy when you need an audit trail showing how the company presented the information.

Step-by-step: download and document a 10-Q

  1. Identify the issuer. Write down the legal name, ticker, fiscal year-end and, if relevant, the company’s Central Index Key (CIK).
  2. Open EDGAR or the issuer’s SEC Filings page. Filter the filing type to 10-Q; exclude 8-Ks, 10-Ks and earnings releases unless you need them for context.
  3. Select the correct period of report. Match the fiscal quarter and the exact “period ended” date. Do not choose solely by filing date.
  4. Choose the file type. Open HTML for reading, download XLS or XBRL for structured extraction, and save PDF or filed HTML for a fixed record.
  5. Record provenance before copying numbers. Capture the accession number, filing date, period ended date, currency, scale (for example, dollars in millions) and the selected file name.
  6. Open the statements and notes. Locate the consolidated income statement, balance sheet and cash-flow statement. Then read the relevant MD&A sections and footnotes.
  7. Mark the duration of every value. Label each number as three months, nine months, year-to-date or a point-in-time balance. Preserve the statement’s column headings in your worksheet.

MD&A is management’s opportunity to explain financial performance and condition, including trends, events and uncertainties that materially affect reported information. It may identify a price change, volume shift, acquisition, divestiture, restructuring, foreign-exchange effect or one-time item that the raw percentage cannot show.

Select the two periods for a year-over-year comparison

Income-statement and cash-flow metrics

For revenue, operating income, net income, operating cash flow and similar flow measures, compare the current fiscal quarter with the same fiscal quarter one year earlier. If the current statement says “three months ended June 30, 2026,” use the prior column labeled “three months ended June 30, 2025,” or the equivalent comparable date shown by the issuer. This controls for recurring seasonality such as holiday sales, weather, school calendars or annual contract cycles.

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Do not compare a three-month current-quarter value with a nine-month prior-year value. If the filing presents both three-month and nine-month columns, make two separate analyses and label them clearly. A year-to-date comparison answers a different question from a quarterly comparison.

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Balance-sheet metrics

A balance sheet is a snapshot, so compare corresponding quarter-end dates: current quarter-end cash with prior-year quarter-end cash, current total debt with prior-year quarter-end total debt, and so on. Do not treat a quarter-end balance as if it were accumulated over three months. A balance-sheet change can reflect financing, acquisitions, seasonality or timing around the closing date.

Per-share data

Keep basic EPS with basic EPS and diluted EPS with diluted EPS. Check whether the weighted-average share count changed materially because of buybacks, issuance, conversion, stock compensation or an acquisition. A change in EPS can therefore differ sharply from a change in net income even when the underlying profit movement is modest.

The year-over-year growth formula

Use this formula for a current value and its comparable prior-year value:

YoY growth (%) = ((Current-quarter value − Prior-year comparable-quarter value) ÷ Prior-year comparable-quarter value) × 100

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The equivalent spreadsheet expression is =(Current/Prior)-1. Format the cell as a percentage. Keep the underlying values unrounded where possible, and round only the displayed result.

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Illustrative arithmetic

Suppose a company reports revenue of 120 in the current quarter and 100 in the comparable quarter last year, using the same currency and scale. The dollar change is 20, and the calculation is (120 − 100) / 100 = 0.20, or 20%. These numbers are invented solely to demonstrate the arithmetic; they are not a company result.

Field Illustrative value
Current-quarter revenue 120
Prior-year comparable-quarter revenue 100
Absolute change 20
YoY growth 20%

When the formula needs a qualification

  • Prior value is zero: the percentage is undefined. Report the absolute change and say that a conventional percentage cannot be calculated.
  • Prior value is negative: the sign can make a “growth” label misleading. Show the absolute change and describe the movement, such as a reduction in loss or a change from a loss to a profit.
  • Values cross zero: do not imply that a very large percentage represents an economically meaningful growth rate. Explain the direction and starting point in plain language.
  • Very small prior base: include the dollar or currency change so the percentage does not exaggerate a small movement.

Build the calculation in a spreadsheet

Create one row per metric and separate columns for provenance. A practical layout is:

Column Content
Metric Exact statement line, such as “Revenue” or “Net cash provided by operating activities”
Statement Income statement, balance sheet or cash-flow statement
Current period ended Date and duration, or “at” for a balance-sheet snapshot
Current value Number as filed
Prior period ended Comparable date and duration
Prior value Number as filed
Absolute change =Current value-Prior value
YoY rate =IF(Prior value=0,"N/A",Current value/Prior value-1), with a separate note for negative bases
Currency and scale For example, USD millions, exactly as shown in the filing
Source record Accession number, filing date, page or HTML section and file format

Use the exact line-item definition from both periods. If a company renamed or regrouped a line, read the accounting-policy note and reconciliation before deciding that the figures are comparable. A clean formula cannot repair a mismatched definition.

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Quality checks before interpreting the result

  • Definition: confirm that both values represent the same line item and accounting presentation.
  • Currency and scale: verify currency and whether amounts are in units, thousands or millions. A scale mismatch can create a 1,000-fold or 1,000,000-fold error.
  • Duration: confirm both flow figures cover the same number of months or weeks.
  • Fiscal-quarter label: ensure both columns are the same fiscal quarter, even if the calendar dates differ.
  • Sign convention: check whether expenses, losses and cash outflows are shown as negatives or in parentheses.
  • GAAP versus non-GAAP: keep the measure constant. Do not compare GAAP operating income with an adjusted operating-income figure.
  • Restatements and reclassifications: inspect notes and MD&A for revised prior-period amounts, discontinued operations, acquisitions, divestitures or regrouped expenses.
  • Per-share basis: verify basic versus diluted EPS and investigate a material share-count change.
  • Arithmetic: recompute the absolute difference and percentage independently, then check rounding.
  • Reasonableness: compare the result with related lines. Revenue growth accompanied by falling gross margin, for example, calls for a different explanation than revenue and margin rising together.

Interpret the percentage with the rest of the filing

Separate scale from profitability

Revenue growth measures sales movement, not economic quality. Pair it with gross profit, operating income, net income and margins. A company can grow revenue while profit falls because of input costs, marketing, wages, depreciation, interest or a one-time charge.

Connect profit to cash

Compare net income with operating cash flow for the same duration. A temporary working-capital build, receivables collection issue, inventory purchase or customer prepayment can make cash move differently from accounting profit. Use the cash-flow statement and related notes rather than inferring a cause from the percentage alone.

Explain unusual movements

Read MD&A for management’s explanation of material changes and the notes for accounting detail. Identify whether the movement reflects volume, price, mix, foreign exchange, acquisition accounting, divestiture, restructuring, impairment, tax effects or a change in share count. State what the filing establishes and avoid treating management’s explanation as an independently verified forecast.

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Worked example: from filing to conclusion

Assume a hypothetical issuer’s 10-Q presents the following revenue columns, both in millions of the same currency:

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Period Duration Revenue
Current fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2026 Three months 120
Comparable quarter ended June 30, 2025 Three months 100
  1. Record the filing’s period ended dates, currency, scale and accession number.
  2. Confirm that both columns are revenue under the same accounting presentation and that neither period is a nine-month total.
  3. Calculate the absolute change: 120 − 100 = 20.
  4. Calculate the rate: (20 ÷ 100) × 100 = 20%.
  5. Read MD&A and the revenue note to determine whether the filing attributes the increase to price, volume, mix, acquisitions or another factor.
  6. Report: “Revenue increased by 20, or 20%, from the comparable quarter.” Add the stated cause only if the filing supports it, and identify any one-time factor.

If the same filing showed operating income of 8 versus 10, the operating-income YoY result would be (8−10)/10 = −20%. Reporting both metrics would show that sales increased while operating profit declined, a materially different conclusion from “the business grew 20%.”

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Using the filing date instead of the period ended date

A report filed in August may cover a quarter that ended in July. Fix this by selecting and recording the statement’s period ended label, then using the prior-year column with the matching fiscal-quarter designation.

Comparing calendar quarters for a non-calendar fiscal year

“Second quarter” means the issuer’s second fiscal quarter, not necessarily April through June. Follow the company’s fiscal calendar and disclose the dates.

Mixing quarterly and year-to-date columns

Statements often place three-month and nine-month columns side by side. Read the column headers and create separate rows for each duration. Never subtract a nine-month figure from a three-month figure and call the result quarterly growth.

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Copying a number without its unit

A statement reported in millions can look identical to one reported in whole dollars after a careless paste. Put currency and scale in dedicated spreadsheet columns and carry them into every exported result.

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Ignoring a restated prior period

If the current filing revises the prior-year comparative amount, use the comparative amount presented in the current filing for an apples-to-apples analysis, and note that it was revised. For a historical-series project, preserve both the original and restated versions with their filing references.

Calling a move from a loss to a profit “growth”

A negative denominator can produce a positive-looking or counterintuitive rate. Present the absolute change, identify the sign change and explain the drivers instead of relying on the percentage label.

Make the result auditable and repeatable

Save the downloaded file without changing its contents, along with a worksheet containing the accession number, filing date, period ended dates, exact labels, units, formulas and any adjustments. Keep a note beside every manual override. If you use XBRL, store the concept name, context period, unit, dimensions and whether the fact uses a company-specific extension.

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For recurring quarterly work, use a consistent naming convention such as ticker_10Q_period-ended_filing-date_format. Re-run the same validation checklist each quarter. If the issuer changes its presentation, add a mapping note rather than silently merging old and new labels.

How to present a quarterly YoY finding

A useful sentence contains the metric, both periods, the absolute change, the percentage, the duration and the unit: “For the three months ended June 30, 2026, revenue was 120 million versus 100 million in the comparable quarter ended June 30, 2025, an increase of 20 million, or 20%.” Follow with the filing-supported explanation and any qualification about acquisitions, restatements, unusual items or a small base.

For a balance-sheet item, change the wording to reflect a point-in-time comparison: “Cash at June 30, 2026 was 240 million versus 180 million at June 30, 2025, an increase of 60 million, or 33.3%.” Do not describe that balance as cash generated during the quarter; use the cash-flow statement for that question.

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