Guide
How to read SEC EDGAR filings
Public companies in the United States tell investors about their business through documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This short guide shows where to find them, which ones matter most, and where to look inside each one.
1. Find the company
Every filer on EDGAR has a Central Index Key (CIK), a permanent number that stays the same even if the company changes its name or ticker. On OpenFilings, search by ticker or name and each company page shows its CIK, recent filings and a link to its full EDGAR history. On sec.gov you can use the company search or EDGAR full-text search, which covers filings from 2001 onward.
2. Know the core forms
- Form 10-K — the annual report, with audited financial statements.
- Form 10-Q — the quarterly report for the first three quarters.
- Form 8-K — a current report on a major event, filed within about four business days.
- DEF 14A — the proxy statement, with executive pay and items for shareholder votes.
- Form 4 — an insider’s report of a change in holdings, due within two business days.
Foreign companies listed in the U.S. usually file a Form 20-F each year and furnish news on Form 6-K instead.
3. Open the filing index, not just the main document
Each filing has an index page that lists every document submitted with it: the main form, exhibits (such as press releases, contracts and certifications) and machine-readable XBRL data. For an 8-K about earnings, the actual press release is usually Exhibit 99.1. On our tables, “Document” opens the main document and “Index” opens the full list.
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4. Where the key numbers are in a 10-K
All 10-Ks use the same numbered items, so once you learn the map you can read any company’s report:
- Item 1, Business — what the company does and how it makes money.
- Item 1A, Risk Factors — what could go wrong, in management’s own words.
- Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis — why results changed, liquidity and outlook.
- Item 8, Financial Statements — the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and notes, with the auditor’s report.
- Part III — directors, executive pay and ownership, often incorporated from the proxy statement.
Read the notes to the financial statements as carefully as the statements themselves. They explain accounting choices, debt terms, lawsuits and one-time items that the headline numbers do not show.
5. Reading the three financial statements
The income statement shows revenue, expenses and net income over the year. The balance sheet is a snapshot on the last day of the year: assets on one side, liabilities and shareholders’ equity on the other. The cash flow statement shows the cash that came in and went out from operations, investing and financing. Profit and cash can differ a lot, so compare net income with cash from operating activities.
The five-year figures on OpenFilings company pages come from the XBRL tags in these statements. Different companies sometimes use different tags for the same idea (for example, several kinds of “revenue”), so treat our figures as a starting point and confirm them in the filing.
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6. Reading insider filings
On a Form 4, the transaction code tells you what happened. P is a purchase on the open market or in a private deal and S is a sale. A is a grant or award from the company, M is the exercise of an option, F is shares withheld to pay taxes and G is a gift. Footnotes often say whether a sale was made under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan set up in advance. A single filing can include several transactions on different days.
7. Watch the dates
A filing has a filing date (when it reached the SEC) and often a period of report (the quarter, year or event date it covers). Large companies must file a 10-K within 60 days after their fiscal year ends, and many fiscal years do not end in December — check the fiscal year-end shown on each company page.
8. Be careful with conclusions
Filings are written by companies and checked by auditors, but they are not guarantees. Numbers can be restated, and forward-looking statements are just that. OpenFilings summarizes filings for convenience; it does not give investment advice, and our summaries can contain errors. When a decision matters, read the original filing on sec.gov and consider talking to a licensed professional.
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Sources
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — EDGAR filer manual, form instructions and investor education materials (sec.gov and investor.gov). This guide is an independent summary; the SEC does not endorse OpenFilings.
Updated October 26, 2026.
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