EDGAREDGAR
EDGAR is the SEC's free online database of company filings — annual and quarterly reports, insider trades, ownership disclosures and offering documents. It is the primary source for researching US public companies.
Analysts, journalists and investors all start in the same place: EDGAR. It holds the official documents companies must file with the SEC, from 10-K annual reports to Form 4 insider trades. It's free, searchable and often more reliable than summaries elsewhere. This entry explains what's in EDGAR and how to use it.
- Category
- Fundamentals and Macroeconomics
- Reading time
- 3 min
- Also called
- SEC EDGAR, EDGAR database, Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval
- Updated
EDGAR in plain words
The SEC's EDGAR database gives free public access to corporate information, so investors can research companies quickly.1
You can find registration statements, periodic reports and other forms by searching a company's name or ticker.2
Full-text search covers more than 20 years of EDGAR filings, filterable by date, company, person, category and location.2
How to use EDGAR, step by step
Search the company
By name, ticker or CIK number.
Find the 10-K
The annual report. See SEC Filings: 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K.
Check 10-Qs
Quarterly updates.
Read 8-Ks
Material events. See Earnings Surprise.
Check Form 4s
Insider buying and selling. See Insider Trading.
Use full-text search
Find words across all filings.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Insider purchase
$900k buyA Form 4 shows a CEO bought 20,000 shares at $45.
| Value | 20,000 × $45 = $900,000 |
Insider trades are reported in filings available through EDGAR.1 See Insider Trading.
Example 2 — Spotting a risk
Red flagFull-text search for "going concern" finds a warning in a company's latest 10-K.
| Signal | Auditor doubts survival |
Full-text search across years of filings helps uncover risks quickly.2 See Zombie Companies.
Example 3 — Prospectus
Due diligenceBefore an IPO, you read the registration statement on EDGAR.
| Document | S-1 with risk factors and financials |
Registration statements are searchable on EDGAR. See Prospectus.
Common EDGAR filings
| Aspect | What it is | When |
|---|---|---|
| 10-K | Annual report | Yearly |
| 10-Q | Quarterly report | Three times a year |
| 8-K | Material events | Within days of the event |
| Form 4 | Insider trades | Within two business days |
How investors use EDGAR
Fundamental research
Primary financial data. See Profit Margins.
Tracking insiders
Form 4s. See Insider Trading.
Following big investors
13F holdings. See Coattail Investing.
IPO analysis
Registration statements. See Initial Public Offering.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- Free and official.
- Complete filing history.
- Full-text search.
Disadvantages
- Documents are long.
- Interface can feel dated.
- US companies only (plus foreign filers).
Going deeper
Read as far as you need. Each level builds on the one before it.
Why primary sources
Beginner
EDGAR gives direct access to company information rather than second-hand summaries.1
Searching efficiently
Intermediate
Use the full-text search to find phrases such as "material weakness" across years of filings.2
13F filings
Advanced
Large institutional managers file quarterly 13F holdings reports, which many investors track. See Coattail Investing.
Common mistakes
Relying on summaries only
Check the original filing.
Skipping risk factors
Key warnings live there.
Ignoring 8-Ks
Material news appears first there.
Misreading 13Fs
They're delayed and long-only.
Check your understanding
Test yourself before moving on. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Key points to remember
- EDGAR is the SEC's free filing database.
- It holds 10-Ks, 10-Qs, 8-Ks and insider forms.
- Full-text search covers 20+ years.
- It's the primary source for company research.
- Read originals, not just summaries.
Frequently asked questions
What does EDGAR stand for?
Can I find foreign companies?
How quickly are filings available?
Further learning
- Securities and Exchange Commission
Who runs EDGAR.
- Insider Trading
Reading Form 4s.
Sources
This article is written in our own words. The sources below support the specific facts, rules and figures marked with a number in the text. Links open the original publisher’s page.
- Investor.gov (SEC). EDGAR (glossary) (opens in a new tab) Checked .
- U.S. SEC. Search Filings (EDGAR) (opens in a new tab) Checked .
Educational content, not financial advice. Examples use hypothetical prices and simplified costs; actual fees, margin rules and regulations vary by broker, market and country. We are not affiliated with any publisher linked above. Last reviewed . Report an error or request a source credit.