What is a fiscal year?
A fiscal year is the 12-month period a company uses for its accounts. It does not have to match the calendar year.
Many US companies end their year on Dec 31. Meta's 10-K, for example, is for the fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2025.[S8] Others pick a different month.
Why does Nvidia's year end in January?
Nvidia's 10-K says it uses a 52- or 53-week year that ends on the last Sunday in January.[S5]
Its fiscal 2026 ended on Jan 25, 2026.[S5] So its fiscal 2027 began the next day and runs to late January 2027.
Why is the name a trap?
Nvidia names each fiscal year after the calendar year it ends in. Nvidia's year ended Jan 25, 2026 is "fiscal year 2026", although almost all of it fell in 2025.[S5]
The quarter names shift too. Nvidia's 10-Q for the quarter ended Jul 26, 2026 is its second quarter of fiscal 2027.[S6]
Amazon's fiscal year is the calendar year. Its second quarter of 2026 ended on Jun 30, 2026.[S7]
| Company | Quarter as the company names it | Quarter ended |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Second quarter of 2026 | Jun 30, 2026 |
| Nvidia | Second quarter of fiscal 2027 | Jul 26, 2026 |
The table's dates are from each company's 10-Q cover.[S7][S6] Two "Q2" reports from the same summer can carry different years and cover different weeks.
What is a 53-week year?
A year that always ends on the same weekday cannot always be 52 weeks long. Every few years it needs a 53rd week to stay near the chosen month end.
Nvidia's fiscal 2024, 2025 and 2026 were all 52-week years.[S5] Its fiscal 2027 is a 53-week year, and the fourth quarter will have 14 weeks instead of 13.[S6]
An extra week means one more week of sales and costs in that quarter and year. Comparisons with a 52-week year include that difference.
What do the SEC rules tie to the fiscal year?
The filing calendar follows the company's own fiscal year, not the calendar year.
- Form 10-Q is filed for each of the first three quarters of the fiscal year.[S3] There is no 10-Q for the fourth quarter.[S2]
- 10-Q deadlines are 40 days after the quarter ends for large accelerated and accelerated filers, and 45 days for others.[S2]
- Form 10-K is due 60 days after the fiscal year ends for large accelerated filers. It is 75 days for accelerated filers and 90 days for others.[S1]
Nvidia ticks the large accelerated filer box. It filed its fiscal 2026 10-K on Feb 25, 2026, a month after its year ended.[S5]
The 10-K cover states the fiscal year it covers, as in "For the fiscal year ended".[S1] That line is the quickest way to check which months a report covers.
What happens if a company changes its year end?
It files a transition report for the gap between the old year end and the start of the new fiscal year.[S4]
That report covers less than 12 months by rule. If the gap is under six months, it may be filed on Form 10-Q instead of a 10-K.[S4]
How does Cityfort label periods?
Cityfort uses each company's own fiscal year. Annual periods are named for the year the fiscal year ends in, so Nvidia's year ended Jan 25, 2026 is FY2026.
Quarters use the company's own numbers, so Nvidia's quarter ended Jul 26, 2026 is Q2 FY2027. Cityfort never relabels them into calendar quarters.
Each US stock page shows its fiscal year end in the numbers section. Compare the Nvidia page with the Amazon, Meta or Tesla pages.