The good the corporation is selling and/or the goods the corporation uses, has changed in market prices. Is the most likely factor effecting profitability of a corporation.
Other factors may result in change of profitability of your individual corporation:
Loans
Salaries
Quality
Efficiency
Worker levels
Corporation contracts, or orders
If these factors have not change dramatically then its probably market price.
Factors that effect market price (basically have the largest effect on supply and demand):
Number of corporations selling the goods, and their production level (worker shortages, salaries will change this)
Previous factor noted but for corporations providing the raw materials.
Market floods: usually happens when a large country or empire is invaded, the invading player sells everything no matter what the price which usually results in a huge few months of oversupply causing the price to dramatically fall (it can sometimes take years for the market to correct its self. It can also happen if someone gets bored enough to stockpile a good then sell it all at the same time.
Huge order of good: opposite of market flood, usually happens with weapons or ammo during impending war, players may also buy a huge surplus of good to pick up a bargain.