SEC Reporting Deep Dive: Forms, Deadlines, and Requirements

SEC reporting is a critical aspect of compliance and transparency for publicly traded companies. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandates that such companies regularly file a range of disclosure forms in order to ensure the public has access to important information about these companies. In this blog, we will cover some of the most common SEC filings, including submission deadlines, content, and how the data is used by stakeholders, such as the general public and trading analysts.

Understanding SEC filings
What is an SEC filing? It refers a form required by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, an independent federal law enforcement agency that guards against market manipulation. Although “SEC filings” are commonly referred to as a single process, they actually encompass many different forms that serve various purposes, have separate deadlines, and require distinct filing criteria. Collectively, SEC filings provide essential details about a publicly traded company’s activities and financial well-being. By ensuring uniformity in data submission across all publicly traded companies, these filings enable investors and analysts to make meaningful comparisons. Additionally, SEC filings play a crucial role in enabling industry regulators to confirm compliance and take appropriate action against any violations.

Here are some of the typical SEC filings publicly traded companies must submit for regulatory reporting purposes.

• Form 10-K
  The Form 10-K, which is submitted annually 60 to 90 days after the end of a company’s fiscal year, delves into a company’s financial situation. This extensive document includes a balance sheet, cash flow statement, income statement, thorough market position summary, research and development, and a review of operations and business health over the course of the year. The 10-K is complicated, so it is typically paired with an annual report that highlights the most important points with illustrations.
• Form 10-Q
  Form 10-Q is a simplified Form 10-K that is submitted on a quarterly basis. It must be filed with the SEC within 40 or 45 days after the end of the quarter. It provides a snapshot of the company’s financial situation over that quarter. Form 10-Q is used by both analysts and investors to assess a company’s current financial standing in comparison to its competitors.
•  Form 8-K
  Form 8-K is used to disclose significant events, such as acquisition of assets, employment of executives, filing of bankruptcies, stock option adjustments, and earnings releases. This filing gives investors quick access to facts that could affect their investment decisions.
• Forms 3, 4, 5
  These three forms are grouped together because corporate insiders—a phrase that includes executive officers, directors, and anyone else who owns at least 10% of the company—are required to file them. Form 3 includes a statement of ownership amount. Form 4 is submitted when ownership changes. Form 5 is an annual revision to Form 4. Astute analysts carefully examine these forms in order to better understand the actions of corporate insiders and evaluate their stock holdings accordingly.
• Form 144
  This form must be submitted if a corporate insider (again, an executive officer, director, or anyone else who owns at least 10% of the company) wants to liquidate more than 5,000 shares of company stock in a period of three months.
• Schedule 13D
  The Schedule 13D form must be submitted within 10 days after a person obtains more than 5% of the voting stock of a corporation. Along with an explanation of the transition and the funding source for share purchases, Schedule 13D includes the person’s basic demographic details.
• Form PF
  Form PF (Private Fund) is required for certain investment advisers managing private funds. Form PF filings are designed to collect information about a fund’s operations, investment strategies, risk exposure, and systemic risk factors. Form PF filings are intended to assist the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) in its mandate to monitor and mitigate potential risks to the financial system.
• Investment advisers with at least $150 million in private fund assets under management (AUM) must complete Form PF filings. The frequency of Form PF filings depends on the adviser’s total AUM and the types of funds they manage. Form PF filings help regulators gain insights into the potential risks and vulnerabilities associated with private funds.
• 13F Filing
  The 13F filing is a quarterly report filed by institutional investment managers with at least $100 million AUM. It discloses their holdings of publicly traded equity securities, including stocks, options, and convertible securities. The report provides valuable information about the investment strategies of institutional investors, allowing the SEC and the public to monitor their activities. It includes details such as the name of the security, the number of shares held, and the market value of the shares. Investors can access this information through the SEC’s EDGAR database, so they can make more informed investment decisions.

How IVP can help with SEC filings
Although it is difficult to stay on top of SEC filing deadlines and manage all the various reporting requirements, companies don’t have to handle these tasks independently. The IVP Regulatory Reporting Solution is specifically designed to help organizations simplify and streamline complex financial reporting, including all SEC filings.

The IVP Regulatory Reporting Solution offers an intuitive interface and streamlined workflows that guide you through the reporting process step-by-step. It also includes built-in templates, checklists, and task management features that ensure you can navigate through the complex requirements of SEC reporting quickly and efficiently.

In addition, the IVP Regulatory Reporting Solution automates data collection, validation, financial statement preparation, XBRL tagging, workflow management, and filing through the SEC’s EDGAR system. It ensures accuracy, efficiency, and compliance with SEC regulations, reducing the risk of manual errors and saving a great deal of time.

Learn more about the IVP Regulatory Reporting Solution or contact us to schedule a live or online demo.