EDGAR stands for Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval, the electronic filing and dissemination system operated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is the primary platform through which companies and other required filers submit regulatory documents to the Commission in electronic format. EDGAR accepts, validates, indexes, and makes public millions of filings, including periodic reports, registration statements, and insider transaction reports. (SEC)
Purpose:
The EDGAR system provides real-time public access to official filings required under federal securities laws, enhancing market transparency and giving investors, analysts, and researchers free access to corporate disclosures. (SEC)
Scope:
EDGAR covers filings under multiple U.S. securities statutes, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, and the Investment Company Act of 1940. Filers include publicly traded companies, mutual funds, insiders required to report ownership changes (e.g., via Forms 3/4/5), and other regulated entities. (SEC)
Key Characteristics:
- Electronic submission and public indexing: EDGAR processes filings electronically and organizes them for search and retrieval. (SEC)
- Public access: Investors and the public can search filings by company name, ticker, CIK, form type, filing date, and other filters. (SEC)
- Continuous updates: Filings are available in near real-time as submissions are accepted by the system. (SEC)
Regulatory Context:
EDGAR is mandated by the SEC to mechanize and standardize the submission of official financial and regulatory disclosures. Virtually all companies with securities registered under U.S. federal securities laws file required documents through this system. (SEC)
Sources:
- About EDGAR — SEC Submit Filings (SEC system overview)
- EDGAR Glossary — SEC (Official term definition)
- EDGAR Search Tools — SEC (Access and search portal)