Find SEC filings faster
In this guide, we'll cover a few useful search techniques that can save time when researching SEC filings.
Search by Filing Type
If you're looking for a specific document, filtering by filing type is one of the quickest methods.
Some common filing types include:
- 10-K - Annual reports
- 10-Q - Quarterly reports
- 8-K - Current reports
- Form 4 - Insider trading reports
- 13F-HR - Institutional investment holdings
- S-1 - IPO registration statements
Filtering by form type helps eliminate unrelated filings and makes large filing histories easier to navigate.
Search by Date
Need the most recent filing or a report from a specific year?
EDGAR allows you to narrow results by filing date, making it easy to locate historical reports or review a company's latest disclosures.
This is especially useful when comparing financial performance across multiple years.
Search by Company Identifier
There are several ways to locate a company in EDGAR:
- Company name
- Stock ticker
- Central Index Key (CIK)
While searching by company name works well in most cases, using a company's CIK is the most precise option because every SEC filer has a unique identifier.
Understanding EDGAR Filing Codes
Each filing submitted through EDGAR is assigned a form code that identifies the type of report.
Some of the most common codes include:
- 10-K - Annual report
- 10-Q - Quarterly report
- 8-K - Current report
- S-1 - IPO registration statement
- Form 4 - Insider trading report
- 13F-HR - Institutional holdings report
- DEF 14A - Proxy statement
Learning these codes makes it much easier to identify the documents you're looking for.
Tips for Faster Research
When using EDGAR, keep these best practices in mind:
- Search by CIK when possible for the most accurate results.
- Filter by filing type before browsing long filing histories.
- Use filing dates to narrow historical searches.
- Familiarize yourself with common filing codes like 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K.
A few simple search techniques can significantly reduce the time it takes to find the information you need.
Save SEC Filings as Clean PDFs
Reading SEC filings online can be inconvenient, especially when you want to save, print, or annotate them later. With SEC Filing PDF Generator, you can convert SEC filings into clean, downloadable PDFs in just a few clicks.
→ Learn More