Glossary/Data Sources & Basics

SEC výkazy

10-K · 10-Q · Regulatory Filings with the SEC

Mandatory periodic reports that every publicly traded US company must file with the regulator (SEC) — the most reliable primary source of company financial data.

Data Sources & Basics

What it is

SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) is the US capital markets regulator. Publicly traded companies must file standardized reports with it on a regular schedule; those reports are publicly available.

10-K — annual report. Complete, audited financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow), plus MD&A (management commentary) and risk factors. The most thorough and reliable document about a company.

10-Q — quarterly report. An abbreviated version covering three quarters of the year, unaudited, less detail than 10-K. The fourth quarter is not filed separately — it is completed by the full-year 10-K.

8-K — extraordinary event report (acquisition, management change, material contract) filed within days of the event, outside the regular cycle.

Foreign companies listed in the US (ADRs) often file 20-F instead of 10-K/10-Q — less frequent (annual only) and with a somewhat different format.

Why track it

SEC filings are the primary source — all aggregated data (see FMP) ultimately originates from them. When an aggregated source and the official filing diverge, the filing is always correct.

The 10-K contains sections that aggregators often do not convert into structured data: risk factors written in management's own words, litigation, segment details, and customer concentration. For in-depth analysis, reading the actual text is irreplaceable.

Real-world example

Microsoft files a 10-K once a year (fiscal year ends June 30) and three 10-Qs during the year. The 10-K contains a detailed segment breakdown (Azure, Microsoft 365, Windows), while the earnings press release contains only summary numbers.

Watch out for

10-Q numbers are unaudited and may be slightly revised in the 10-K. For companies with an off-calendar fiscal year (fiscal year ≠ calendar year), it is easy to confuse which period a "10-K for year X" actually covers — always verify the fiscal period end date, not just the filing date.