YoY — Year over Year
Definition: A comparison of a metric in one period vs the same period one year ago. YoY strips out seasonality.
Example
Q3 revenue grew 30% YoY — clearer than comparing to Q2, which may have been seasonally different.
When you'll hear it
YoY shows up most often in board meetings, quarterly business reviews, and strategy off-sites. When someone uses it, they're usually referring to year over year — and they expect the room to already know what that means.
FAQs
What does YoY stand for?
YoY stands for Year over Year.
What does YoY mean in business and finance?
A comparison of a metric in one period vs the same period one year ago. YoY strips out seasonality.
Where will I hear YoY used at work?
YoY comes up most often in board meetings, quarterly business reviews, and strategy off-sites. It's used as shorthand for year over year, so people assume you already know the term.