Navigating the plethora of data available to investors can be overwhelming. The SEC has made it a bit easier with its EDGAR system. EDGAR is the electronic data gathering and analysis reporting system used by companies to submit their information — data ranging from insider’s transactions to how much profit a company reported last quarter. This repository allows investors to focus research on one place but navigating it may be a bit tricky. especially for first time users.

The Essentials of Search

To assist users, the SEC set up a “Quick EDGAR Tutorial ,” which provides information on how to navigate the site but it does not explicitly help determine which tools to use. The following simplified guide should assist in navigating EDGAR so it is not too arduous.

EDGAR has several ways to search for information —by company name, CIK (Central Index Key), SIC (Standard Industry Classification) or ticker symbol, by its most recent filings and even by company address. Along with name and ticker, mutual funds can also be searched for using the SEC key, fund disclosures or voting records.

If you are unsure of the actual name of a company or any other information, you can also search using the “Full Text Search,” which allows you to put in a key word or phrase or check off the “contains” or “starts with” option, allowing users to input only a partial company name. EDGAR will search all texts for the past four years to locate the appropriate documents. For example is you want to search for GE but are unaware GE is short for General Electric, you can put GE in the “Full Text Search” and EDGAR will locate all documents containing that phase.

The “Companies & Other Filers Search” function is the primary area investors use to retrieve data. After inputting the company search information, EDGAR will produce a list of filings, starting with the most recent.

These filings are listed by Form Type. A list and description of all the SEC Forms is provided by EDGAR using the “Description of SEC Forms ” link. Alternatively, if you know the specific type of filing you want to review, you can choose the option to exclude or include certain forms.

The Bottom Line

EDGAR provides a great service to assist investors in gathering the necessary data used in making an informed investment decision. But it does have limitations. The most important limitation for investors is that EDGAR does not specifically state if a form has been amended or withdrawn, so you need to search all subsequent filings to determine whether the form in question presents the most current information.