Investeens

Definition: The form on which a publicly-held company reports its business performance and financial condition following the end of every quarter (ie: three month period). The form is then sent to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), the government agency which requires it and which keeps it on line for investors to examine.

Example: On November 4, 2009, publicly-held Google (ie: a company whose shares are owned by a large number of investors) filed its form 10-Q discussing its performance over July, August, and September of 2009.

Investeens explains: The most important resource that an investor can have is information. Thankfully, the government requires publicly-held companies to complete form 10-Q each quarter so that we never go longer than three months without knowing how a company is doing.

The deadline for filing the 10-Q for most companies is 40 days after the end of the quarter. Notice above that Google filed its report just inside this deadline. The 10-Q is not audited (ie: the financial figures have not been examined by an independent firm).

Companies only have to file three form 10-Qs per year even though there are four quarters in a year! The reason is that at the end of the year, companies are required to complete a 10-K, the form on which it reports the last quarter's performance as well as its performance for the whole year (ie: the last four quarters).

Investors can examine 10-Qs by visiting the SEC's web site. Click here to visit the page on which you can search for company filings.

Riddle me this:

1. Which government agency requires that companies periodically report to investors how they are doing?
2. How many months does a 10-Q encompass?
3. Is the financial information on the 10-Q audited or unaudited?
4. Why do companies only have to file three 10-Qs per year and not four?

See related: 10-K, Audit, Publicly-held corporation, SEC.