EBITDA is a loose term. That number can be calculated many ways including top-down (starting with revenue) or bottom up (starting with net income). And analysts

EBITDA is a loose term. That number can be calculated many ways including top-down (starting with revenue) or bottom up (starting with net income). And analysts can fudge the number further by including/excluding certain accounts. But all in all, EBITDA stands for Earnings Before Interest Taxes Debt and Amortization. The reason EBITDA is a figure analysts look at is because it relates to "true" profit of the company without polluting it with non-operating revenues/expenses.