What does P&L mean?

Profit and loss (P&L) statements are one of the three financial statements used to assess a company’s performance and financial position. The two others are the balance sheet and the cash flow statement. The profit and loss statement summarizes all revenues and expenses a company has generated in a given timeframe.

What is a profit and Loss (P&L) statement?

A profit and loss (P&L) statement is one of the three types of financial statements prepared by companies. The other two are the balance sheet and the cash flow statement. The purpose of the P&L statement is to show a company’s revenues and expenditures over a specified period of time, usually over one fiscal year.

What is an example of a P&L statement?

A company’s statement of profit and loss is portrayed over a period of time, typically a month, quarter, or fiscal year. Below is an example of Amazon’s 2015-2017 P&L statement, which they call the Consolidated Statement of Operations. To learn how to analyze these financial statements, check out CFI’s Advanced Financial Modeling Course on Amazon.