Mentor Graphics Corporation, a supplier of electronic design automation systems, just announced its second quarter results. According to the earnings press release, the company reported "revenues of $182.6 million, non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.02, and a GAAP loss per share of $0.22." Elsewhere in the press release the company says that non-GAAP earnings excludes the following items incurred during the quarter: equity-based (noncash) employee compensation; severance and related employee "rebalancing" costs; fees paid to consultants; losses related to the abandonment of excess facility space and a facility fire; interest expense; along with other assorted items. There is no standard definition of non-GAAP earnings. Each firm is permitted to construct its own definition for press release purposes. As a result, the Securities and Exchange Commission requires firms such as Mentor Graphics to provide a reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP earnings any time a non-GAAP measure is presented.
Required:
1. Which of the excluded items represent ongoing costs of running the business and which are one-time "special" costs?
2. How might analysts and investors benefit when firms call attention to their non-GAAP earnings. 3. How might analysts and investors be harmed?

it depends on the company and the actual transactions, e.g. equity based compensation might be a one time special cost because it occurred only once and is doubtful that it happens again. But if the company regularly rewards its top managers with this type of compensation, then it is an ongoing cost. E.g. Tesla awarded a HHHHUUUUUUGGGGGGGEEEEEEE bonus to Elon Musk (worth hundreds of millions) but it was a one time event. While many companies use equity compensation on a regular basis.

Severance and related employee "rebalancing" costs generally take place when a company fires a lot of people because it is cutting down some division or product line. Hopefully, they should never happen, and if they do, it should be only a one time event.

Fees paid to consultants and interest expenses are ongoing costs that will probably occur in the future.

Losses related to the abandonment of excess facility space and a facility fire should be one time events. It would be really bad for them to keep happening (same as severance and rebalancing costs)