Читать книгу Reading Financial Reports For Dummies - Lita Epstein - Страница 58

Each year, public companies must file an annual report with audited financial statements and information about

 Company history: How the company was started, who started it, and how it grew to its current level of operations

 Organizational structure: How the company is organized, who the key executives are, and who reports to whom

 Equity holdings: A list of the major shareholders and a summary of all outstanding stock

 Subsidiaries: Other businesses that the company owns wholly or partially

 Employee stock purchase and savings plans: Plans that allow employees to own stock by purchasing it or participating in a savings plan

 Incorporation: Information about where the company is incorporated

 Legal proceedings: Information about any ongoing legal matters that may be material to the company

 Changes or disagreements with accountants: Information about financial disclosures, controls and procedures, executive compensation, and accounting fees and services

In addition to the regular reports, public companies must file an 8-K, a form for reporting any major events that can impact the company's financial position. A major event may be the acquisition of another company, the sale of a company or division, bankruptcy, the resignation of directors, or a change in the fiscal year. A public company must report any event that falls under this requirement on the 8-K to the SEC within four days of the event's occurrence. I discuss the rules for SEC Form 8-K in greater detail in Chapter 19.