To check a U.S. public company, first confirm its ticker and exchange, then review its share-price performance over a defined period and look up its reports in the SEC’s EDGAR database. Use the stock chart to understand market movement and the company’s filings to understand its reported results and disclosures; neither one, by itself, explains or predicts what the stock will do next.
1. Confirm the company and ticker
Start with the company’s full name. Confirm its ticker symbol and exchange on its investor relations site or a financial quote page before searching or comparing data. Check for similarly named businesses and multiple share classes: a ticker can refer to a particular class of shares, not necessarily every security issued by the company.
No company is specified here, so the steps below explain how to research one without implying a current quote or latest filing for a particular issuer.
2. Check stock performance over a defined period
Choose the time window and measure
On a quote page or price chart, select a clear period—such as one month, one year, or five years—and note the start and end dates. A stock’s price return measures the change in share price. Total return also accounts for distributions such as dividends, so a price-only chart should not be described as total return if it excludes them. Investor.gov explains that returns can include both price appreciation and dividend payments, while stock prices can move because of company-specific and broader market factors: Stocks – FAQs.
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Make comparisons like-for-like
- Use the same beginning and ending dates when comparing companies.
- Check whether the displayed performance includes dividends.
- Keep in mind that a price move can reflect market-wide conditions as well as company news.
3. Find company reports in SEC EDGAR
The SEC’s EDGAR database provides free public access to company filings. Search by company name or ticker, then review the filing list by date and form type. Investor.gov explains the database and common filing types in Using EDGAR to Research Investments.
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- Open Investor.gov’s EDGAR guide and follow its link to the SEC’s EDGAR search.
- Search for the confirmed company name or ticker and select the matching issuer.
- Scan the filing list for the form you need—usually 10-K, 10-Q, or 8-K—and check its filing date.
- If a form has “/A” at the end, open the amendment and determine whether it changes or supplements the earlier filing.
U.S. public companies generally submit quarterly 10-Q reports for their first three fiscal quarters and an annual 10-K after the fourth quarter. Other issuers may have different reporting obligations, and foreign companies can use different forms. Investor.gov’s overview of public companies describes these reports and related disclosures.
Which filing answers which question?
| Filing | What it covers | When to look for it |
|---|---|---|
| 10-K | Annual report, including audited annual financial statements, risk factors, and management’s discussion and analysis. | For the company’s annual account of its business and results. |
| 10-Q | Quarterly report with unaudited financial statements and updated discussion for the quarter and year to date. | For interim results; remember that fiscal quarters may not align with calendar quarters. |
| 8-K | Current report on significant events between periodic reports; it may include an earnings release or preliminary earnings information. | Around a major announcement, acquisition, leadership change, or other significant event. |
4. Read earnings beyond the headline number
Use the filing, not just the announcement
For a quick update, a company’s investor relations site may publish an earnings release. Check whether the release was furnished or filed with an 8-K, then use the 10-Q or 10-K for fuller statements and discussion. An 8-K can report significant developments between scheduled reports, including certain earnings announcements.
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In the 10-Q or 10-K, locate the financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A). Compare the reported period with the same period a year earlier; where useful, also compare year-to-date figures. Check the company’s fiscal calendar before comparing its quarter with another company’s calendar quarter.
The SEC’s guide to reading a 10-K or 10-Q identifies the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and statement of stockholders’ equity as core financial statements. Read them alongside the MD&A and risk factors. Revenue or earnings per share alone may not reveal how much cash the business generated, its debt position, or changes in its risks.
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5. Put price movement and disclosures together
A chart records market price data; a filing records what the company reported to regulators. If a stock moved around an earnings date or major announcement, compare the relevant dates with the company’s disclosures, but do not assume the filing alone explains the market move. Share prices can respond to broader market conditions and other factors, and past performance is not a forecast.
For a useful record of your comparison, note the ticker and share class, the price-chart dates and whether dividends are included, the fiscal period covered by each earnings figure, and each filing’s form type and date. Treat an amendment as a separate document to check, not as a substitute for confirming what the original report said.
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What this research can—and cannot—tell you
EDGAR and a company’s investor relations site let you examine public disclosures; charts let you examine market prices over time. These tools can help you assess reported results and historical performance, but they do not establish what a stock will do in the future. Investor.gov’s Investing on Your Own guide notes that people who research investments themselves are responsible for their decisions and cautions against buying solely on stock tips. This is a research workflow, not individualized buy, sell, or hold advice.
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