quarter

One three-month period of four into which the year is divided on the financial calendar.

Many financial events are scheduled on a quarterly basis, including the deadlines for the report of various types of data for public companies including financial statements and information for taxation purposes. The exact dates of the fiscal year (and therefore the quarters into which it is divided) may vary between companies and agencies of the federal government, but the quarters generally fall more or less in line with the seasons.

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