EDGAR
Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval — the SEC's online database where all public company filings including 10-Ks, 10-Qs, and proxy statements are publicly available.
Example
“She found the company's latest 10-K and insider trading disclosures by searching EDGAR at sec.gov.”
Memory Tip
EDGAR = the SEC's public database. All company filings are free to search at sec.gov.
Why It Matters
EDGAR matters because it gives individual investors free access to the same financial information that professional analysts use. By reviewing a company's 10-K annual report or 10-Q quarterly report through EDGAR, you can research investment opportunities and make informed decisions about whether to buy or avoid a stock.
Common Misconception
Many people assume that EDGAR filings are easy to read and understand at first glance. In reality, these documents are often hundreds of pages long and written in complex legal and accounting language, requiring significant time and financial literacy to properly analyze.
In Practice
If you are considering investing in Apple, you could go to EDGAR and pull their most recent 10-K filing to see that they reported 383 billion dollars in revenue and 99.8 billion dollars in net income for their fiscal year. This real data helps you evaluate whether Apple is a financially healthy company worth investing in compared to competitors.
Etymology
Acronym for Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval. The SEC's public ELECTRONIC filing database.
Common Misspellings
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See Also
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