Seriously though [still wiping eyes] corp management just can't win on all this second guessing by the analysts. Years ago corps would bring analysts into their confidential records and the predictions were more accurate, but then the SEC complained that the analysts had illegal insider info. Insider info stopped and that made predictions not as good --later when the final published reports disappointed there were lawsuits that the evil CEO's were guilty of 'cover-up'. That made the CEO's downplay next quarter strengths and spawned lawsuits based on Dilbert.
Ya can't buy this kind of entertainment...