General Motors FY2026 Q3 Earnings: Profit Nearly Triples to $3.3B — But the Guide Says Q4 Won't Repeat It
GM earned $3.3B in Q3 2026 (+151%) on $50B of revenue — then guided a Q4 worth barely half that, and the stock fell 6% despite a $20B buyback.
#manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing cost accounting, production, and operations
Northrop Grumman FY2026 Q3 Earnings: $7.89 EPS Beats by 10% as Backlog Hits a Record $110B
Northrop Grumman earned $7.89 EPS (+3%) on $11.12B sales — a 10% beat — as backlog hit a record $109.6B and guidance rose.
RTX FY2026 Q3 Earnings: $2.26 Adjusted EPS on a Record $340B Backlog — With a $0.25 Tariff Assist
RTX earned $2.26 adjusted EPS (+33%) on a record $340B backlog — but $0.25 came from a one-time tariff refund while cash flow fell 47%.
Alcoa Q3 2026 Earnings: The $483M Quarter That Pre-Funded a $3.1B Alumina Bet
Alcoa Q3 2026: $483M net income (+108%) on $3.7B revenue as $2.6B of new notes pre-fund the $3.1B AliGroup deal.
Units-of-Production Depreciation, Explained: How to Turn Lifetime Output Into a Per-Unit Write-Off
Divide cost minus salvage by lifetime output for a per-unit rate, then multiply by actual production — ideal for equipment with uneven usage.
Lam Research FY2026: The $23.2B Machine That Etches Every AI Chip
Lam Research FY2026: revenue +26% to $23.2B at a 35.3% operating margin, and an $8.10B September guide on foundry demand.
Special-Order Pricing Decisions: When to Accept a Below-Price One-Time Order
A below-list special order profits when its price beats incremental cost per unit and capacity is idle; at full capacity, add the lost regular-sale margin.
Cost of Quality, Explained: What Every Dollar of Prevention Saves You in Rework and Warranty Claims
Prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure are the four quality costs — one prevention dollar saves ten in rework and a hundred in warranty claims.
Underapplied and Overapplied Overhead, Explained: Close the Variance to COGS or Prorate It Across Inventory
Underapplied overhead means actual spending beat applied overhead — close a small variance to COGS, prorate a material one across WIP, finished goods, and COGS.
Period Costs vs. Product Costs: What Goes Into Inventory and What Hits Your Profit and Loss Right Away
Product costs ride with inventory onto COGS at sale; period costs hit profit now — misclassifying either shifts profit between months.
Buy American vs. Buy America vs. BABA: Which Domestic-Content Rule Governs Your Federally Funded Job
Direct federal buys follow the Buy American Act while grant-funded infrastructure follows BABA - 100% US iron and steel, 55% domestic manufactured products.
Make vs. Buy: The Avoidable-Cost Framework Behind Every Smart Outsourcing Decision
Compare a supplier quote against avoidable cost, not full cost — allocated overhead stays either way. The framework, the math, and the qualitative overrides.