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EDGAR

Also known as: SEC EDGAR, EDGAR database, Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval

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EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) is the Securities and Exchange Commission's system for receiving, processing and publishing corporate and fund filings. Every 10-K, 8-K, Form 4, proxy statement and registration statement filed with the SEC lands on EDGAR, where it becomes public at no cost.

How it works

Filers submit documents electronically with access credentials issued by the SEC. Once a submission is accepted, it is assigned an accession number and published on sec.gov, usually within seconds to minutes. Each company has a permanent CIK (Central Index Key) number, so its full filing history stays searchable even after a name or ticker change. Financial statements are also tagged in XBRL, which lets software pull revenue, earnings and balance sheet items directly from filings.

EDGAR accepts filings on business days during set hours. Most filings submitted after the 5:30 p.m. ET cutoff are treated as filed on the next business day, although some forms, including Section 16 insider reports, receive same-day credit up to 10 p.m. ET.

Why it matters for traders

EDGAR is the primary source. Press releases, news stories and data vendors all derive from what is filed there, so the filing itself is usually the earliest and most complete version of the information. Material events such as an 8-K announcing a CEO exit, a Form 4 showing an insider purchase, or a Schedule 13D from an activist can hit EDGAR before any headline appears. Late-evening filings are a known pattern: companies sometimes file bad news after the close, and it moves the stock in pre-market trading the next morning.

Example

At 4:42 p.m. ET, a hypothetical biotech, Northwind Therapeutics (ticker NWTX), files an 8-K on EDGAR disclosing that its CFO has resigned. The company issues no press release. Traders watching the raw EDGAR feed see the filing immediately, while the story reaches general news sites about 20 minutes later.

FAQ

Is EDGAR free to use?

Yes. Searching and downloading filings on sec.gov costs nothing, and the SEC also offers free full-text search and data APIs.

How fast do filings appear on EDGAR?

Accepted filings are usually published within seconds to a few minutes of submission during filing hours.

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Related terms

SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)The US federal agency that regulates securities markets, enforces securities laws and oversees the disclosures public companies must file.Form 8-KThe SEC "current report" a public company files to disclose material events, generally within four business days of the event.Form 10-KThe audited annual report US public companies file with the SEC, covering the business, risk factors, MD&A and full financial statements.Form 4The SEC filing that reports a change in an insider's holdings, such as a purchase, sale, option exercise or grant, generally within two business days.Schedule 13DThe SEC disclosure an investor must file after acquiring more than 5% of a company's voting stock with an active intent, such as seeking change.

Part of the Quantisnow financial glossary. For longer explainers, see the investing guides. Educational content, not investment advice.