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In the sentence

Our profits are down for Fourth Quarter 2011.

is Fourth Quarter capitalized?

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Hello Sandy and welcome. Yes, but only in your case; otherwise you have to write "fourth quarter of 2011". – Carlo_R. Oct 17 '12 at 20:32
I'd put "the fourth quarter of 2011" but you can also write something like "Our Q4 2011 profits are down." – z7sg Ѫ Oct 17 '12 at 23:42
This question can be easily checked with a Google search. – Merk Oct 18 '12 at 3:52

1 Answer

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Ideally you'd see if the Chicago Manual of Style has anything to say on the subject of time periods and such. But the US GPO (Government Publishing Office) is the best free online resource for capitalization rules that I know of, and the closest thing I can find that it says is in Chapter 3, section 3.9:

A common noun used with a date, number, or letter, merely to denote time or sequence, or for the purpose of reference, record, or temporary convenience, does not form a proper name and is therefore not capitalized.

It gives examples like "first district (not congressional)" and "spring 1926". So going by their book I would say, going by the book, no capitalization.

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A style manual is simply that - style. It is not grammar book, and as it varies according to who publishes it, it is not a reference either. It is simply a document intended to inform authors of the style that particular publisher likes to follow. – Roaring Fish Oct 20 '12 at 11:18

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