Conference Call

A conference call refers to investors, media and interested parties who call a phone number, usually toll-free, to hear the management comment on the financials of their company. A conference call is oftentimes broadcast over the Internet. A conference call serves to tell the public about a company's management, earnings for the most recent quarter, and prospects going forward. Typically, a company holds a conference call four times a year. Analysts use information from a conference call to evaluate future prospects for the company's stock. A conference call of bellwether companies such as Intel, GE, and Wal-Mart are highly anticipated because their financial results tend to provide insight into their particular sector and sometimes for the economy as a whole.