[Superfly_FR]

[answer the poll before you jump to the linked thread, please]

I'm a foreigner. The Quarter definition is often obscure to us. But reading around and thanks to this thread initiated by leftypepper716, things are clearer. Please jump into it to make things clear (thanks to app_developer).

[SixStringMadness]

Q1 should mean by FY, and I'm not sure when RIM's FY starts/ends. My company FY-Q1 is Oct/Nov/Dec, so technically I would have expected RIM to mean that, but since they say Q1 calendar 2013, does that mean Jan/Feb/Mar, or RIM's FY-Q1 in calendar 2013, which is what??

On the surface however, I believe they meant Jan/Feb/Mar

[Superfly_FR]

Q1 should mean by FY, and I'm not sure when RIM's FY starts/ends. My company FY-Q1 is Oct/Nov/Dec, so technically I would have expected RIM to mean that, but since they say Q1 calendar 2013, does that mean Jan/Feb/Mar, or RIM's FY-Q1 in calendar 2013, which is what??

On the surface however, I believe they meant Jan/Feb/Mar

The original thread went in rehab, but the link (and solution) is still good
sorry, but can't state the result just bellow the poll

[bounce007]

Q(x) is a function I learned in a statistics class... can't remember what exactly it does though...

[Superfly_FR]

So, basically, 33% of the voters spontaneous think Q1 is actually Q2 ...

[anthogag]

RIM's accounting quarters don't align with the year right, but in the news Q4 was the last 3 months of 2012...so Q1 has to be the first 3 months of 2013

[amazinglygraceless]

For Fiscal Year 2013 RIMMs quarters breakdown as follows:

Q1 Quarter End: 2 June 2012
Q2 Quarter End: 1 September 2012
Q3 Quarter End: 1 December 2012
Q4 Quarter End: 2 March 2013
Research In Motion - Investor Events


With that, Q1 FY2013 has passed so the only reasonable assumption left is that Q1 of 2013
would be a standard CALENDAR quarter running from 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2013.

[addicted44]

I am pretty sure RIM meant calendar year 2013 q1, which implies jan-mar.

Most companies have financial years which do not align with the calendar year. The reason may be because of tax laws where they are based (RIM's FY seems to be based on the tax calendar, although I can't be sure, since I don't know what Canada's tax system is like) or maybe the date they were founded, went public, etc.

Honestly, much like a ton of other stuff in finance, I think it is needlessly confusing. The Financial world has developed its own jargon, which only makes things more obscure than they need to be (e.g. The ridiculous points system that treasuries use is unbelievably stupid, based on breaking the prices into 32nds. It made sense when all you had for calculations was slide rules, but in the age of computers in pockets, one would have thought they would have advanced).

[xandermac]

The statement (in the audio of the call) was "Calendar Q1".

Very clear and concise. That's Jan-Mar 2013.

[Superfly_FR]

Spontaneous answers is what I was looking for ;-).
xandermac, you're perfectly right and I swiped the "calendar" in purpose, as it is generally in press reports ...
I believe some @ RIM, even if in a financial perspective could take a four words time to make it very clear, as in "between January and March".

[ColdFistOfTruth]

Q(x) =Q(x) where x = x+1 for all values of x

-CFOT