A 10-K is a comprehensive annual report that publicly traded companies are required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, containing detailed, audited financial statements along with extensive disclosures about the company's business, risks, and operations.

A 10-Q is a quarterly report filed for each of the first three fiscal quarters of the year (the fourth quarter is typically covered within the annual 10-K instead). It contains financial statements and disclosures, though generally less extensive and unaudited compared to the 10-K.

An 8-K is a filing companies use to disclose specific material events as they occur — such as major corporate changes, leadership transitions, or other significant developments — rather than following a fixed quarterly or annual schedule.

How is an 8-K different from an earnings report?

While companies often file an 8-K around the time of an earnings announcement, the 8-K is a broader disclosure tool used for a range of material events, not exclusively earnings. Its defining feature is that it is event-driven rather than tied to a fixed periodic schedule.

Are these filings audited?

The annual 10-K includes audited financial statements, meaning an independent auditor has reviewed them. The quarterly 10-Q typically includes unaudited financial statements, reflecting its more frequent, interim nature.

Where can I read a company's SEC filings?

The SEC maintains a public database called EDGAR, which allows anyone to search and read filings directly from the companies that submitted them, free of charge.

Why should I read the actual filing instead of a news summary?

News summaries typically highlight only the most newsworthy points, while the primary filing contains the complete disclosure, including risk factors and details that may not make it into a shorter secondhand summary.

Do all public companies have to file these documents?

Companies that are registered with the SEC and have securities publicly traded are generally required to make these periodic and event-driven disclosures, subject to the specific requirements that apply to their registration status.

Understanding SEC Filings: The 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K Explained | Imperialpedia

Beyond the earnings announcements companies issue themselves, public companies are also required to file formal disclosures directly with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Three filings form the backbone of this disclosure system: the 10-K, the 10-Q, and the 8-K. This guide explains what each one covers, extending the broader picture from understanding company news.

The 10-K: The Annual Report

The 10-K is a company's comprehensive annual report, filed once per fiscal year. It is generally the most detailed of the three filings, containing audited financial statements along with extensive disclosures about the company's business operations, competitive landscape, risk factors, and management's discussion of results. Because it is audited and comprehensive, the 10-K is often considered the most authoritative single document for understanding a company's full-year financial picture.

The 10-Q: The Quarterly Report

The 10-Q is filed for each of the first three fiscal quarters of the year (results for the fourth quarter are typically folded into the annual 10-K instead). It contains financial statements and disclosures similar in structure to the 10-K, but generally less extensive, and the financial statements are typically unaudited, reflecting the more frequent, interim nature of quarterly reporting. The 10-Q is closely related to a company's quarterly earnings report, though the two are not identical — the earnings announcement is often a company's own summary, while the 10-Q is the formal regulatory filing.

The 8-K: Disclosing Material Events

Unlike the 10-K and 10-Q, which follow a fixed periodic schedule, the 8-K is event-driven. Companies use it to disclose specific material developments as they occur — which can include a wide range of significant corporate events. Because it is filed in response to an event rather than on a calendar, an 8-K can sometimes be the fastest primary source of information about a significant development, appearing before broader news coverage catches up.

Filing	Frequency	Audited	Typical purpose
10-K	Annual	Yes	Comprehensive full-year disclosure
10-Q	Quarterly (Q1-Q3)	No	Interim financial update
8-K	Event-driven	No	Disclosure of a specific material event

Why These Filings Matter Beyond Earnings

While earnings reports tend to dominate company news coverage, other significant developments are also disclosed through this filing system. A material event tied to a merger or acquisition or a significant capital return decision will often appear in an 8-K, sometimes as the very first public disclosure of the development.

Because these filings are primary sources submitted directly by the company to a securities regulator, they generally offer more complete and precise detail than secondhand news summaries, which may condense or simplify the underlying disclosure.

Reading Filings Directly

All of these filings are public and can be searched and read directly through the SEC's EDGAR system, free of charge. Reading the primary filing rather than relying solely on a news summary can be especially useful when researching risk factors, detailed segment performance, or the specific language a company uses to describe a material event.

A Practical Approach

Use the 10-K for a comprehensive, audited annual picture of a company's business and risks.
Use the 10-Q to track quarter-to-quarter financial trends between annual reports.
Watch for 8-K filings as a potentially early primary source for significant, unscheduled developments.
Cross-reference filings with company earnings announcements and broader news coverage for full context.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming a company's own earnings announcement and its 10-Q filing are identical documents.
Overlooking that 10-Q financials are typically unaudited, unlike the annual 10-K.
Missing that 8-K filings can sometimes disclose a significant event before it appears in general news coverage.
Relying solely on secondhand summaries when primary filings are freely available.

Conclusion

The 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K together form the formal backbone of how public companies disclose information to investors and regulators. Understanding what each one covers — and knowing that all three are freely searchable — equips you to go beyond headline summaries and read primary company disclosures directly.