Investors shouldn't obsess about a company's progress over just a three-month period, but they still watch quarterly results are still watched closely for good reason. They help detect trends and can confirm or refute what stock analysts have been saying about a business' prospects.

One of the most closely followed stocks is Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), and its third-quarter earnings report comes at a transitional time for the company and the entire electric vehicle (EV) sector. Amidst competition that is ramping up and several other headwinds in the industry, Tesla just gave investors another good reason to think about buying its stock. 

One of the highlights for shareholders in Tesla's third quarter was the 3-for-1 stock split it completed in August. But that didn't change anything about the business or the company. Investors just found out the details of what did from its quarterly report, however. 

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Source Fool.com