Many sources on in the Internet make no distinction between these terms, but they are used differently.
Generally, earnings refer to the money that a business earns, which may be calculated after deducting the costs of producing, purchasing, or providing the goods or services. It is used in financial indicators, such "earnings per share". It refers to the company’s profit that is attributed to each individual share, and it is an indicator of a company’s profitability. The higher this ratio is, the more valuable its shares are.
Another example for “earnings” is the phrase “retained earnings” of the company, which is a term used in the balance sheet referring to the money that the company makes in each business year. In this sence, it is the profit of the given year.
Profit, on the other hand, is the amount of money that a company keeps after deducting all expenses. There are several items that a company may deduct, which may relate to operation or any other aspect, such as financial or extraordinary items.
