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US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

reuters.com

251–260 of 491 posts

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#251
post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Listing on a public exchange is not a requirement, but it is generally a boon to the public interest. The theory is that if we close the gap in regulatory burden between public companies and large private companies, then maybe we'll see more IPOs like back in the 90's, before Sarbanes-Oxley and other new laws. Now, with an admin that's disposed to deregulation, the usual approach to closing that gap is to loosen requ…

> The theory is that if we close the gap in regulatory burden between public companies and large private companies, then maybe we'll see more IPOs like back in the 90's, before Sarbanes-Oxley and other new laws. And maybe more Enrons?

Yes, maybe. The optimal number of scandals is sadly not zero, and any given piece of legislation tends to overreact, fighting the last battle without seeing all the potential second-order consequences. Even the most carefully-crafted laws are worth giving another look, periodically.

Note that FTX, for example, was privately held. If it had been born in the nineties, the norm would be for it to go public, and have at least a modicum of disclosure; staying private would have been weird, a red flag. Instead, "our generation's Enron" had no public markets oversight whatsoever, SOX or otherwise.

So yeah, it's necessary to find a balance. You are choosing between a little regulation on a lot of companies, or a lot of regulation on a smaller and smaller chunk of the economy each year.

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#252

Simultaneously they are opening up 0DTE options on certain stocks starting with large market caps but don't be surprised when this expands. Currently this was limited to large etfs like SPX. They are also extending trading hours towards 24/7 and eventually 365. How they square increasing liquidity with delaying information is insane. I know there is a lot of manipulation to make quarterly numbers and the tax code is…

Maybe just allow "insider trading".

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#254

This seems like bad news for regular investors, and good news for insiders. Reporting is burdensome, sure, but being listed on public exchanges is not a requirement.

Listing on a public exchange is not a requirement, but it is generally a boon to the public interest. The theory is that if we close the gap in regulatory burden between public companies and large private companies, then maybe we'll see more IPOs like back in the 90's, before Sarbanes-Oxley and other new laws. Now, with an admin that's disposed to deregulation, the usual approach to closing that gap is to loosen requ…

FWIW even if we weren't in this admin, I think it would be a harder sell to increase reporting requirements on private companies. The whole point of private capital and private companies is that LPs (edit: liquidity providers) are required to have some form of accreditation to prove that they aren't dumb money and that they have the capital to weather large drawdowns.

The problem of growing private capital markets and liquidity has been an issue for ~20 years now.

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#255

That's disrespectful to investors. Persons affected by the market deserve quarterly earnings reports; which should be trivial given sufficient accounting systems.

Less accounting accountability -> Greater liability

Other international markets under consideration for investment are expected to retain their sub-annual reporting requirements.

Does this policy provide for allowing firms to optionally continue to disclose their financial status to all investors quarterly using the existing guidelines for scheduled disclosure?

Firms could instead instruct their CAO Chief Accounting Officer to continue to prepare quarterly reports and work on being able to prepare automated monthly reports.

Markets with a no-fee CBDC have the advantage on transactional accountability. If all transactions were in CBDCs, the treasury report for quarterly or monthly statements of accounting accountability would be easy.

Investors have for quite awhile operated with legally mandatory quarterly accounting reports and explanations of the nature of the costs and returns.

You do the now-annual earnings report webcast

Sort of like when you put off working on a paper until the last minute

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#256

24/7 trading sounds like a nightmare. “Your retirement savings crashed 30% because there wasn’t enough liquidity to cover a 3am panic over non-news”.

We already have 23/6 trading with index futures. The S&P500 (ES), NASDAQ 100 (NQ), DOW (YM) will sometimes gap up or down on open just to match overnight trading.

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I up you to continuous reporting. Audit should be inherent to the system, not a process after the fact. As a public company all owners should have access to daily closed books, and all companies should be able to close their books daily in 2026. Every six months being the cadence we learn how our companies we own are doing is absurd. It leads to really long dark periods. Also for employees it means we can only divest…

That is an absurd cadence. It is extremely expensive to do this reporting; an an enormous amount of useless activity is slaved to providing it in companies that need to. This is literally a call for more bureaucracy theater. The obvious net effect is that companies would structure themselves to no longer have the reporting requirement, as the cost of reporting exceeds the benefits. That would not benefit society at l…

> an an enormous amount of useless activity is slaved to providing it in companies that need to

Curious why the word "slaved" was used here instead of the much more nominal "employed".

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could also price in negative externalities of short term trading with higher taxes for that behavior, nudging the markets to focus on value driving investments rather than speculation

Like short term vs long term capital gains tax rates?

Either that or implement it at the exchange level. Eg. if accredited investors sell a stock in <3 months, you pay X% as a tax at the moment of sale - or maybe different fees for <1 hour, <1 month, <1 year

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#259
post #7

If you have earnings too frequently, it encourages companies to become hyper focused on earnings and make less long term investments. But if there is too much gap in between earnings, there is potential for grifting. What to do?

Quarterly reporting didn't seem to hurt Amazon.

Re: US SEC preparing to scrap quarterly reporting requirement

#260

One of my favorite stories about logistics and quarterly earnings deadlines (from when I worked at a pharmaceutical company: "In our business, a truckload of various drugs can easily reach $10-$15 million. Now, if that truck arrives at the depot at 11:59pm March 31st then it's first quarter earnings. If it arrives at 12:01am April 1st then it's second quarter earnings. $15 million is a BIG shortfall, even for us, so…

That doesn't make any sense because the revenue is already booked for the sale which has nothing to do with when the delivery truck actually arrives.

Cash vs Accrual
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