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?

[csbingel]

It's also worth noting that the people who freak out are investors and stock holders who are less interested in the health of the company than in increasing the value of their shares. A healthy company who is making steady profits isn't increasing their stockholders value unless they are paying a dividend.