cáibào: 财报 - Financial Report, Earnings Report

• Keywords: caibao, 财报, Chinese financial report, earnings report in Chinese, what does caibao mean, company report, business Chinese, corporate finance China, 公司财报, 季度财报, 年度财报
• Summary: 财报 (cáibào) is the essential Chinese term for a financial report or earnings report. This document is the official summary of a company's financial performance, detailing its income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. For anyone investing in or doing business with Chinese companies, understanding the `财报` is crucial for assessing a company's health, profitability, and future prospects.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): cáibào
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A (HSK 6+ / Business Chinese)
• Concise Definition: A formal report detailing a company's financial activities and position.
• In a Nutshell: Think of a `财报` as a company's official “report card” for a specific period (usually a quarter or a year). It tells investors and the public exactly how the business is doing: did it make money (profit) or lose money (loss)? What does it own (assets) and what does it owe (liabilities)? It's the single most important document for judging a company's financial health.

• 财 (cái): This character means “wealth,” “money,” “riches,” or “property.” The radical on the left, 贝 (bèi), originally depicted a cowrie shell, which was used as an early form of currency in ancient China. Thus, characters with 贝 often relate to money and value.
• 报 (bào): This character means “to report,” “to announce,” or a “report/newspaper.” The left side is a “hand” radical (扌), suggesting the action of delivering or presenting something. The right side provides the sound and contributes to the meaning of informing.
• When combined, 财报 (cáibào) literally translates to a “wealth report” or “financial announcement”—a straightforward and logical name for what it is.

The `财报` is a universal concept in modern business, but its role in China has unique cultural undertones. In the context of China's rapidly developing, high-stakes economy, the release of a `财报` is a major event that can create significant “waves” (波动, bōdòng) in the stock market. A strong `财报` is not just about numbers; it's also about face (面子, miànzi). A company with excellent financial results brings great prestige to its leadership, signals stability to its employees, and demonstrates its power and competence to competitors and the government. Conversely, a poor `财报` can lead to a significant loss of face. Compared to Western business culture, where the primary focus of a financial report is on shareholder value and legal compliance (e.g., meeting GAAP or IFRS standards), the Chinese `财报` can sometimes be viewed through an additional lens of state-level economic goals and social stability. While transparency is the stated goal, foreign investors often apply extra scrutiny to the `财报` of Chinese companies, reflecting historical concerns about accounting practices. However, as China's economy integrates further globally, the standards and reliability of its corporate financial reporting are continuously improving.

`财报` is a formal and standard term used in business, finance, and news media. You will encounter it constantly when reading about the stock market or specific companies.

• Releasing a Report: Companies 发布财报 (fābù cáibào), meaning they “publish/release a financial report.”
• Types of Reports: Reports are typically time-based.
  • 季度财报 (jìdù cáibào): Quarterly financial report (often shortened to 季报, jìbào).
  • 年度财报 (niándù cáibào): Annual financial report (often shortened to 年报, niánbào).
• Analyzing a Report: Investors and analysts 看财报 (kàn cáibào) or 分析财报 (fēnxī cáibào) to make investment decisions. The results can be described as:
  • 财报超预期 (cáibào chāo yùqī): The report exceeded expectations.
  • 财报不及预期 (cáibào bù jí yùqī): The report fell short of expectations.

The term is neutral in connotation and is used in formal written and spoken contexts.

• Example 1:
  • 阿里巴巴将于下周发布最新财报。
  • Pinyin: Ālǐbābā jiāngyú xiàzhōu fābù zuìxīn cáibào.
  • English: Alibaba will release its latest financial report next week.
  • Analysis: A common sentence structure you'd see in a news headline. `发布 (fābù)` is the standard verb for “releasing” or “publishing” a report.
• Example 2:
  • 投资者正在仔细分析这家公司的财报，以决定是否购买其股票。
  • Pinyin: Tóuzīzhě zhèngzài zǐxì fēnxī zhè jiā gōngsī de cáibào, yǐ juédìng shìfǒu gòumǎi qí gǔpiào.
  • English: Investors are carefully analyzing the company's financial report to decide whether to buy its stock.
  • Analysis: This shows the primary purpose of a `财报`—to inform investment decisions. `分析 (fēnxī)` means “to analyze.”
• Example 3:
  • 这家科技公司的季度财报远超市场预期，股价大涨。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā kējì gōngsī de jìdù cáibào yuǎn chāo shìchǎng yùqī, gǔjià dàzhǎng.
  • English: This tech company's quarterly earnings report far exceeded market expectations, and its stock price surged.
  • Analysis: `远超预期 (yuǎn chāo yùqī)` is a key phrase meaning “far exceeded expectations,” a very positive sign for investors.
• Example 4:
  • 他们的年度财报显示公司去年亏损严重。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen de niándù cáibào xiǎnshì gōngsī qùnián kuīsǔn yánzhòng.
  • English: Their annual financial report shows that the company suffered serious losses last year.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the negative side. `亏损 (kuīsǔn)` means “to have a deficit/loss.”
• Example 5:
  • 你想成为一个成功的投资者，就必须学会怎么看财报。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng chéngwéi yī gè chénggōng de tóuzīzhě, jiù bìxū xuéhuì zěnme kàn cáibào.
  • English: If you want to be a successful investor, you must learn how to read a financial report.
  • Analysis: `看财报 (kàn cáibào)` doesn't just mean “look at,” but implies “read and understand” or “analyze.”
• Example 6:
  • 这份财报的数字好像有点问题，我们需要请审计师来检查一下。
  • Pinyin: Zhè fèn cáibào de shùzì hǎoxiàng yǒudiǎn wèntí, wǒmen xūyào qǐng shěnjìshī lái jiǎnchá yīxià.
  • English: The numbers in this financial report seem a bit off; we need to ask an auditor to check it.
  • Analysis: This highlights the importance of verification. The measure word for `财报` is `份 (fèn)`.
• Example 7:
  • 财报电话会议将在明天上午十点举行。
  • Pinyin: Cáibào diànhuà huìyì jiāng zài míngtiān shàngwǔ shí diǎn jǔxíng.
  • English: The earnings call (financial report telephone conference) will be held at 10 AM tomorrow morning.
  • Analysis: Shows how `财报` can be used as a modifier for other business events, like a conference call.
• Example 8:
  • 由于财报结果令人失望，该公司股价下跌了超过百分之十。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú cáibào jiéguǒ lìng rén shīwàng, gāi gōngsī gǔjià xiàdiē le chāoguò bǎifēnzhī shí.
  • English: Due to the disappointing financial report results, the company's stock price fell by more than ten percent.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly links a bad `财报` to its direct consequence on the stock market.
• Example 9:
  • 在阅读财报时，我们不仅要关注利润，还要注意现金流。
  • Pinyin: Zài yuèdú cáibào shí, wǒmen bùjǐn yào guānzhù lìrùn, hái yào zhùyì xiànjīnliú.
  • English: When reading a financial report, we must not only pay attention to profit, but also to cash flow.
  • Analysis: This provides practical advice, showing that `财报` analysis is multi-faceted.
• Example 10:
  • 每一家上市公司都必须定期公布其财报。
  • Pinyin: Měi yī jiā shàngshì gōngsī dōu bìxū dìngqī gōngbù qí cáibào.
  • English: Every publicly listed company must periodically publish its financial reports.
  • Analysis: This explains a fundamental rule of the stock market. `上市公司 (shàngshì gōngsī)` is a “publicly listed company.”

• `财报 (cáibào)` vs. `报告 (bàogào)`: This is the most common point of confusion for learners.
  • `报告 (bàogào)` is a general term for “report.” It can be a work report (工作报告), a research report (研究报告), or a school report (学习报告).
  • `财报 (cáibào)` is *specifically* a financial report. It's a type of `报告`.
  • Incorrect: 我需要写一份公司的财报。 (Wǒ xūyào xiě yī fèn gōngsī de cáibào.) - Unless you are the Chief Financial Officer, this is wrong.
  • Correct: 我需要写一份工作报告。 (Wǒ xūyào xiě yī fèn gōngzuò bàogào.) - I need to write a work report.
  • Correct: 公司的会计部门正在准备财报。 (Gōngsī de kuàijì bùmén zhèngzài zhǔnbèi cáibào.) - The company's accounting department is preparing the financial report.
• Not a Simple Summary: A `财报` isn't just a one-page summary of profit. It's a comprehensive set of documents that typically includes three main parts:

1. 利润表 (lìrùnbiǎo): Income Statement (shows profit and loss).

  2.  **资产负债表 (zīchǎn fùzhàibiǎo):** Balance Sheet (shows assets and liabilities).
  3.  **现金流量表 (xiànjīn liúliàngbiǎo):** Cash Flow Statement (shows the movement of cash).
  Knowing these components will give you a much deeper understanding when you hear them mentioned in relation to a `财报`.

• 公司 (gōngsī) - Company; the entity that creates and releases a `财报`.
• 股票 (gǔpiào) - Stock/share; its market price is heavily influenced by the `财报`.
• 投资者 (tóuzīzhě) - Investor; the primary audience for a company's `财报`.
• 利润 (lìrùn) - Profit; one of the most important metrics found in a `财报`.
• 亏损 (kuīsǔn) - Financial Loss; the opposite of profit, also detailed in the `财报`.
• 季度 (jìdù) - Quarter (of a year); a common reporting period for a `财报`.
• 年度 (niándù) - Annual/Yearly; the reporting period for a company's main `财报`.
• 报告 (bàogào) - Report (general); the broader category to which `财报` belongs. It's important to know the distinction.
• 审计 (shěnjì) - Audit; the professional examination of a `财报` to ensure its accuracy.
• 上市公司 (shàngshì gōngsī) - Publicly listed company; a company required by law to release its `财报` to the public.