> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.daloopa.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Period Format Standards

Canonical period formats, and why fiscal periods aren't the same as calendar periods

This page defines the canonical string formats used to identify reporting periods, and explains the critical distinction between **calendar periods** and **fiscal periods** when working with company financials.

***

## Supported formats

Always use these formats when specifying or parsing a period:

| Format   | Description          | Example            |
| :------- | :------------------- | :----------------- |
| `YYYYQQ` | Quarterly data       | `2024Q1`, `2024Q2` |
| `YYYYHH` | Semi-annual data     | `2024H1`, `2024H2` |
| `YYYYFY` | Fiscal year (annual) | `2023FY`, `2024FY` |

### Format rules

* `YYYY` is always a four-digit year.
* The period suffix is **uppercase** (`Q1`, not `q1`).
* Quarters run `Q1`–`Q4`; halves run `H1`–`H2`; the annual suffix is always `FY`.
* There is no zero-padding beyond the four-digit year (`2024Q1`, never `2024Q01`).

> **Tip:** Treat the period string as an opaque, canonical identifier. Parse it with a fixed pattern (`^\d{4}(Q[1-4]|H[1-2]|FY)$`) rather than slicing by position, so semi-annual and annual suffixes are handled correctly.

***

## Calendar periods vs. fiscal periods

The single most important concept to understand about periods is that **the year in a period string refers to the company's fiscal year, not the calendar year.** A company's fiscal year does not necessarily align with the January–December calendar, and the difference materially changes what a label like `2024Q1` actually represents.

### Definitions

| Term                | Definition                                                                                                                                            |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Calendar period** | A period anchored to the standard calendar. Calendar Q1 is always January–March, Q2 is April–June, and so on, for every company.                      |
| **Fiscal period**   | A period anchored to the company's own fiscal year, which may begin in any month. The fiscal year is named according to the company's own convention. |

### Why they diverge

Many companies adopt a fiscal year that ends on a date other than December 31 — to align with industry seasonality, retail cycles, or historical convention. When the fiscal year is offset from the calendar year, every quarter inside it is shifted accordingly.

### Worked example

Consider a company whose fiscal year **ends in late September** (a common pattern for technology hardware companies):

| Fiscal period | Approximate calendar months covered |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| `2024Q1`      | Oct – Dec **2023**                  |
| `2024Q2`      | Jan – Mar 2024                      |
| `2024Q3`      | Apr – Jun 2024                      |
| `2024Q4`      | Jul – Sep 2024                      |
| `2024FY`      | Oct 2023 – Sep 2024                 |

Notice that `2024Q1`** for this company occurs entirely within calendar year 2023.** A consumer who assumes `2024Q1` means January–March 2024 would be off by an entire quarter — and would be comparing it against the wrong calendar window for peers on a December fiscal year-end.

### Implications for consumers

* **Period labels are fiscal by default.** Unless a field is explicitly named as calendar-based, assume the year and quarter reflect the company's fiscal calendar.
* **Cross-company comparison requires alignment.** Two companies reporting `2024Q1` may be describing different calendar windows. Normalize to calendar periods before comparing companies with different fiscal year-ends, or before joining against macro/calendar-indexed data.
* **Fiscal year labeling conventions vary.** Some companies name a fiscal year after the calendar year in which it *begins*, others after the year in which it *ends*. Rely on the period as Daloopa returns it rather than re-deriving it from the report date.
* **Year boundaries can be surprising.** A fiscal Q1 may fall in the prior calendar year (as above), so date-range filters built on calendar assumptions can silently exclude or misplace data.

> **Rule of thumb:** Use **fiscal periods** when analyzing a single company's trend over time (it matches how the company reports and guides). Convert to **calendar periods** when comparing across companies or aligning with external calendar-based datasets.

***

## Quick reference

* Quarterly → `YYYYQQ` (`2024Q1`)
* Semi-annual → `YYYYHH` (`2024H1`)
* Annual → `YYYYFY` (`2024FY`)
* The year is **fiscal**, not calendar.
* A fiscal quarter can fall partly or entirely in a different calendar year.
* Align to calendar periods before cross-company or external comparisons.

<br />