These documents do have quite a bit of overlap with a company's annual report to shareholders, which is also required by the SEC. But 10-Ks tend to provide more detailed information. Some companies will even use their 10-K as their annual report to shareholders.
In the 10-K, investors can find an overview of the company's business practices, financial data and operating results from the past year, risks the organization is facing, and discussion from management about their perspective on the organization, among many other topics.
All 10-Ks are publicly available, and investors can find them in a number of places. Many companies include them in the investor relations section of their website. 10-Ks are also available in the SEC's EDGAR database. You can search by company name or ticker symbol.
The first includes information about the way the company is meeting objectives for reliable financial reporting, among other things. The second includes any disclosures about changes and disagreements a company has had with accountants. According to the SEC, "many investors see this disclosure as a red flag."
If you want to follow or invest in a U.S. public company, you can find a wealth of information in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K. Among other things, the 10-K offers a detailed picture of a company’s business, the risks it faces, and the operating and financial results for the fiscal year. Company management also discusses its perspective on the business results and what is ...