Definition: A Profit and Loss Statement is a standard financial document that summarizes a company's revenue and expenses for a specific period of time, usually one quarter of a fiscal year and the entire fiscal year.
It is important that both investors and company managers be able to read and understand this document in order to understand the company's financial condition. For a description of the line items typically found in a company's income statement, read How to Read an Income Statement. You can also see a Sample Income Statement there.
**See the full Glossary of Business Management Terms and Abbreviations
Also Known As: Income Statement, Earnings Statement, Statement of Operations, P&L
