An 8-K earnings release is the first place a US company's quarterly numbers appear: the company files a Form 8-K under Item 2.02 with its press release attached as Exhibit 99.1, carrying headline GAAP figures, non-GAAP measures and guidance. The Form 10-Q, with the complete financial statements and notes, follows days or weeks later.
For Q3 2026, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) filed its earnings 8-K on 13 October 2026 and its 10-Q on 21 October 2026. This article shows what each document contained, how the two sets of numbers differ, and how we track the sequence across the S&P 500.
What an 8-K earnings release contains: Item 2.02 and Exhibit 99.1
A Form 8-K is the SEC's current report, filed when something material happens. Item 2.02, "Results of Operations and Financial Condition", is the item a company uses when it publicly announces results for a completed period. The 8-K itself is short; the content sits in Exhibit 99.1, the press release, listed under Item 9.01 (financial statements and exhibits).
The release is written by the company for investors and the press. It usually contains:
- Headline GAAP figures: revenue, net earnings and diluted EPS for the quarter and the same quarter a year earlier, often in a condensed income statement.
- Non-GAAP measures: adjusted EPS, organic or operational growth, adjusted margins. Regulation G requires a reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure, which is why releases end with reconciliation tables.
- Guidance: the company's outlook for the full year or the next quarter.
Information furnished under Item 2.02 is not "filed" for liability purposes under Section 18 of the Exchange Act unless the company says otherwise. The 10-Q is filed, reviewed by the auditor and certified by the CEO and CFO.
The 10-Q a few days or weeks later: full statements and notes
A large accelerated filer has 40 days after the quarter ends to file its 10-Q. The 10-Q carries the full income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and statement of equity in XBRL, the notes (segments, litigation, acquisitions, tax), the MD&A and the risk factor updates. It reports GAAP figures; non-GAAP measures, when they appear at all, sit in the MD&A.
The gap between the two documents varies. The table shows four S&P 500 companies from the Q3 2026 season and the dates their earnings 8-K and 10-Q reached SEC EDGAR.
| Company | Quarter ended | Earnings 8-K | 10-Q | Revenue in the quarter (prior year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) | 27 Sep 2026 | 13 Oct 2026 | 21 Oct 2026 | $25,399 million ($23,993 million) |
| Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) | 30 Sep 2026 | 20 Oct 2026 | 21 Oct 2026 | $12,874 million ($11,510 million) |
| The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) | 30 Sep 2026 (fiscal Q1 FY2027) | 22 Oct 2026 | 22 Oct 2026 | $23,276 million ($22,386 million) |
| Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) | 30 Sep 2026 | 26 Oct 2026 | Not yet filed on 28 Oct 2026 | Released, filing pending |
Source: Clarifo reported-periods view, Q3 2026, as of 28 October 2026; dates from SEC EDGAR filings, revenue in USD from the 10-Q XBRL.1
Procter & Gamble filed both on the same day, Netflix one day apart, Johnson & Johnson eight days apart. Until Verizon's 10-Q arrives, we show its quarter as released, filing pending.
Johnson & Johnson Q3 2026: the same quarter in two documents
Johnson & Johnson's quarter is a clear case of why the release and the 10-Q need to be read together. Its Exhibit 99.1 led with reported sales growth of 5.9% to $25.4 billion and GAAP EPS of $0.09, and explained the low EPS by a one-time special charge for the proposed talc litigation resolution and two M&A deals. The same release gave adjusted EPS of $2.59, a non-GAAP figure, and raised 2026 guidance to estimated reported sales of $101.2 billion and adjusted EPS of $11.10 at the midpoint.2
The table sets out which figures came from which document.
| Figure, Q3 2026 | Value | Where we read it |
|---|---|---|
| Reported sales | $25.4 billion, +5.9% | 8-K, Exhibit 99.1 (13 Oct) |
| Operational / adjusted operational growth (non-GAAP) | 6.0% / 6.1% | 8-K, Exhibit 99.1 |
| Diluted EPS (GAAP) | $0.09 (prior year $2.12) | 8-K; confirmed in 10-Q XBRL |
| Adjusted EPS (non-GAAP) | $2.59 | 8-K, Exhibit 99.1 |
| Full-year 2026 guidance | Sales $101.2 billion; adjusted EPS $11.10 | 8-K, Exhibit 99.1 |
| Net earnings (GAAP) | $210 million (prior year $5,152 million) | 10-Q XBRL (21 Oct) |
| Earnings before tax | $34.0 million, 0.1% of sales | 10-Q, MD&A |
| U.S. / international sales | $15.0 billion (+9.1%) / $10.4 billion (+1.5%) | 10-Q, MD&A |
| MedTech segment sales | $8.6 billion, +2.5% | 10-Q, MD&A |
| Cash flow from operations, nine months | $18.9 billion | 10-Q, MD&A |
Source: Johnson & Johnson Form 8-K (Item 2.02), 13 October 2026, and Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended 27 September 2026, filed 21 October 2026; USD.23
The 10-Q put numbers on what the release described. Earnings before tax fell to $34.0 million from $7.5 billion a year earlier, and the 10-Q states that the quarter included a charge of approximately $5.5 billion for the proposed talc ovarian litigation resolution and $1.0 billion of acquired in-process research and development expense for the Firefly Bio acquisition. It also added detail the release did not lead with: MedTech segment income before tax fell to 9.0% of sales from 15.3%, with Orthopaedics separation costs of $0.4 billion among the drivers.3
The 8-K tells you the company's headline. The 10-Q tells you what is underneath it, with the auditor's review behind the numbers.
How the numbers differ between the release and the 10-Q
Usually identical
Revenue, net earnings and diluted EPS in the release match the 10-Q in most cases. For Johnson & Johnson, Netflix and Procter & Gamble, the release revenue and the 10-Q revenue in our data are the same figure.
Release-first, company-defined
Adjusted EPS and operational growth exclude items the company chooses. Read the reconciliation table and compare the GAAP and adjusted gap with prior quarters.
The 10-Q adds the explanation
Segment results, charges quantified, year-to-date cash flow, legal and tax notes. These are the figures to cite when the question is "why".
When a release figure and a 10-Q figure do differ, the usual reasons are a reclassification, a subsequent event between the two dates, or rounding in the release headline ($25.4 billion against $25,399 million). The 10-Q is the version of record.
Tracking the 8-K earnings release and the 10-Q on company pages
We count a US company as having reported on the day of its earnings 8-K, because that is when the market gets the numbers. Until the 10-Q is filed, the quarter's figures come from the release's condensed income statement; when the 10-Q arrives, they switch to the SEC XBRL figures. A release without a readable table stays "released, filing pending" rather than estimated. For more on how this plays out across the season, see Q3 earnings season opens on a high baseline.
Each company page lists the 8-K events next to the 10-Q and 10-K filings, and every figure links to the filing it came from. In Claude or ChatGPT, one prompt covers the comparison:
Using Clarifo, compare Johnson & Johnson's Q3 2026 earnings 8-K with its 10-Q: filing dates, GAAP and non-GAAP EPS, and which charges explain the gap. Cite the page for each figure.
For a wider view of this workflow, read AI equity research tool.
Open a company page to see its latest earnings 8-K and 10-Q side by side, with each figure linked to the SEC filing.
- Clarifo reported-periods view, Q3 2026, as of 28 October 2026. Johnson & Johnson Form 8-K, 13 October 2026, and Form 10-Q, 21 October 2026; Netflix, Inc. Form 8-K, 20 October 2026, and Form 10-Q, 21 October 2026; The Procter & Gamble Company Form 8-K and Form 10-Q, 22 October 2026; Verizon Communications Inc. Form 8-K, 26 October 2026, all on SEC EDGAR.
- Johnson & Johnson, Form 8-K (Items 2.02 and 9.01), Exhibit 99.1 press release "Johnson & Johnson reports Q3 2026 results, raises 2026 guidance", 13 October 2026, p. 1: SEC EDGAR.
- Johnson & Johnson, Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended 27 September 2026, Part I Item 2 (MD&A): SEC EDGAR.
Not investment advice. Figures are based on data reported by the companies.