Earnings season isn’t just for Wall Street. Every quarter, public companies release results that dominate headlines. But for those of us leading private companies, these earnings calls offer something more valuable—a real-time read on the economy and practical insights for the next 90 days of your business plan.
Why it matters
Public earnings reports tell a broader story about confidence, demand, and investment priorities. For mid-market leaders, these signals can help us anticipate client needs, adjust pricing strategies, and make smarter, more informed capital and talent decisions.
Three signals to watch
- Credit conditions: Banks’ earnings reveal lending appetite. Are credit standards tightening? Are borrowing costs rising? These trends directly impact everything from expansion plans to hiring decisions.
- Tech spend: Technology companies show where digital budgets are flowing, from cloud and AI to cybersecurity. The 2025 earnings season revealed that, as shown in this Forbes piece, organizations increased investments in AI, cloud and cyber last year. If your clients are investing heavily in automation or data security, your service roadmap should reflect that.
- Consumer confidence: Retail and logistics earnings provide insight into demand patterns. Are consumers spending or pulling back? This affects not only retail but also B2B sectors and their discretionary budgets.
Turning noise into clarity
The challenge is in turning data into action and making it resonate with your management team. Here’s how I see it:
- Summarize the signals. One page, three bullet points: what’s changing, what’s staying the same, what matters most right now. Have active conversations about the signals and explore what they mean for your teams, clients and other company stakeholders.
- Adjust priorities early. Use earnings insights to fine-tune your hiring, pricing and investment decisions.
- Communicate the “why.” When teams understand the rationale behind changes, and I’ve said this recently, confidence rises.
Earnings season is often dismissed as background noise by some. I’d argue it’s a leadership tool. When you translate the signals from earnings season into internal clarity, you give your teams the confidence to act decisively, backed by data.
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