The phrase "a earnings" is not correct in written English.
The correct article to use with "earnings" is "the" or no article at all, as "earnings" is a plural noun.
Example: "The earnings from the investment exceeded our expectations."
Alternatives: "the earnings" or "earnings".
[C2.] FRAUD CHARGES AT DRUG MAKER The Securities and Exchange Commission has accused the drug maker Biovail and four executives of accounting fraud, citing deceptions that included attributing a earnings shortfall to a fatal truck accident.
That deal resulted in the restatement of three years of earnings by Cendant -- which had to deduct a total of $640 million that prosecutors said was created out of thin air at CUC. THE STYLE IS NICE BUT SUBSTANCE RULES AWARD -- To Carleton S. Fiorina, the chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, who can spin with the best, but whose delivery of the goods, a k a earnings, has been lacking.
Analysts polled by Thomson predicted a earnings of $1.57 per share on sales of $9.9 billion.
Or as Apple COO Tim Cook put it in a earnings call over the summer, "Our goal is not to build the most computers.
It launched a digital platform that enables them to interact with the companies they invest in whether it's on a earnings conference call, during a product launch or at an analyst meeting.
We award the stock an earnings grade of "A".
A similar situation arises when a company makes an earnings announcement.
For privately held outfits we applied an earnings multiple for a comparable public company.
It will be hard to paint a good face on an earnings shortfall of this magnitude.
"People are focused on if we're in an earnings slump or an economy slump.
"Scott's departure was a surprise," Mr. Donahoe acknowledged in an earnings call.
