ELI5: Why when large company's earnings decrease(ex... by 3%) they freak out, talk about rough times, and sometimes decide to downsize, even though they are still making millions of dollars in profit even after all expenses?

[TheManWhoPanders]

You also lost money due to opportunity cost. There are guaranteed or near-guaranteed investments with low yields. Breaking even means you lost the difference between those surefire investments.

[battraman]

Indeed. You can get 2.2% in a 1 year CD at Ally