sec reporting

Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Chapter 14

SEC Reporting

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Learning Objective 14-1

Understand the SEC’s structure and regulatory

authority.

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SEC

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent federal agency created in 1934 responsible for regulating securities markets

The ability of companies to raise capital in the stock markets and the high trading volumes are indications of the SEC’s success in maintaining an effective marketplace for companies issuing securities and for investors seeking capital investments

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History of Securities Regulation

Thirteenth century – King Edward establishes a Court of Aldermen to regulate security trades in London

Eighteenth century – England’s Parliament passed several acts (the Bubble Acts), to control questionable security schemes

1790 – Creation of the New York Stock Exchange

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1911 – States began passing what were called “blue sky laws” to regulate the offering of securities by companies which did not have a sound financial base

1920s – Era of heavy stock speculation by many individuals

The Great Depression The Federal Securities Acts of 1933 and

1934

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The Securities Act of 1933 Regulated the initial distribution of security issues by

requiring companies to make “full and fair” disclosure of their financial affairs before their securities could be offered to the public

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Required all companies whose stocks were traded on a

stock exchange to periodically update their financial information

Created the Securities and Exchange Commission and assigned it the responsibility of administering both the 1933 and 1934 acts

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The SEC has the legal responsibility to regulate trades of securities and to determine the types of financial disclosures that a publicly held company must make

The SEC’s role is to ensure full and fair disclosure; it does not guarantee the investment merits of any security

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EDGAR System

EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) An electronic filing system developed by the SEC Under this system, firms electronically file

directly by using computers, facilitating the data transfer and making public data more quickly available

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International Harmonization of AccountingStandards for Public Offerings

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is working with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) to converge on a uniform set of accounting and financial reporting standards that can be used by all companies seeking financing through any of the world’s major stock markets, including those of the United States

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International Harmonization of AccountingStandards for Public Offerings

In 2007, the SEC published Securities Act Release No. 33-8879 Under this, financial statements from foreign private

issuers will be accepted by the SEC without reconciliation to U.S. GAAP, if they are prepared using IFRSs as issued by the IASB

Securities Act Release No. 33-8831 A Concept Release If U.S. issuers are allowed to use IFRSs in their filings

with the SEC, multinational U.S. companies operating in several countries could use just one set of accounting and financial reporting standards for all of their global operations

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Securities and Exchange Commission

Organizational structure Division of Corporation Finance – Develops and

administers the disclosure requirements for the securities acts and reviews all registration statements and other issue-oriented disclosures

Division of Enforcement – Directs the SEC’s enforcement actions

Division of Investment Management – Regulates investment advisers and investment companies

Division of Market Regulation – Regulates national securities exchanges, brokers, and dealers of securities

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Organizational Structure of the SEC

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Laws administered by the SEC Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 Trust Indenture Act of 1939 Investment Company Act of 1940 Investment Advisors Act of 1940 Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970 Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The SEC is often asked for assistance in the administration of two other major laws: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 Federal Bankruptcy Acts

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The regulatory structure Regulation S-X and Regulation S-K, govern the

preparation of financial statements and associated disclosures made in reports to the SEC

Regulation S-X presents the rules for preparing financial statements, footnotes, and the auditor’s report

Regulation S-K covers all nonfinancial items, such as management’s discussion and analysis of the company’s operations and financial position

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The regulatory structure The Accounting and Auditing Enforcement

Releases (AAERs) present the results of enforcement actions taken against accountants, brokers, and other participants in the filing process

The Staff Accounting Bulletins (SABs) allow the SEC staff to make announcements on technical issues with which it is concerned as a result of reviews of SEC filings

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The Regulatory Structure

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The Regulatory Structure

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Practice Quiz Question #1

Which of the following statements is true about the SEC?

a. The SEC was created in response to the Korean War in the mid-1950s.

b. The SEC has the legal responsibility to regulate trades of securities

c. The SEC’s role is to ensure full and fair disclosure and it guarantees investments.

d. The SEC is managed directly by the U.S. Vice President.

e. Staff Accounting Bulletins (SABs) allow the SEC staff to make announcements regarding government social events.

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Understand the process of registering securities within

the SEC.

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Issuing Securities: The Registration Process

Companies wishing to sell debt or stock securities in interstate offerings to the general public are generally required by the Securities Act of 1933 to register those securities with the SEC The basic financial statements required are:

Two years of balance sheets Three years of statements of income Three years of statements of cash flows Three years of statements of shareholders’ equity

Prior years’ statements are presented on a comparative basis with those for the current period

The SEC requires at least five years of selected financial information presenting key numbers

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A number of types of securities and securities transactions are exempt from registration: Commercial paper with a maturity of nine months or less Intrastate issues in which the securities are offered and sold

only within one state Securities exchanged by an issuer exclusively with its existing

shareholders with no commission charged Issuances of securities by governments, banks, savings and

loan associations, farmers, co-ops, and common carriers regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission

Securities of nonprofit religious, educational, or charitable organizations

The antifraud provisions of the securities acts still apply

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Small issues under the SEC’s Regulation A for issuances up to $5,000,000 within a 12-month period can be exempt if there is a notice filed with the SEC and an “offering circular” containing financial and other information provided to the persons to whom the offer is made

Some required disclosures of financial statements and other financial information fall under Regulation A

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Regulation D presents three exemptions from full registration requirements for private placements: Rule 504 exempts small issuances up to $1,000,000

within a 12-month period to any number of investors Rule 505 exempts issuances up to $5,000,000 within a

12-month period The sales can be made to up to 35 “unaccredited investors”

and to an unlimited number of “accredited investors”

Rule 506 allows private placements of an unlimited amount of securities and applies, in general, the same rules of Rule 505 except the maximum of 35 unaccredited investors must be sophisticated investors

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Offering process begins with the selection of an investment banker (“underwriter”) Underwriter provides marketing information

and directs the distribution of the securities The underwriting agreement specifies such

items as the underwriter’s responsibilities and the final disposition of any unsold securities

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The Registration Statement The process of public offerings of securities

begins with the preparation of the registration statement

The company must select one from among approximately 20 different forms the SEC currently has for registering securities

The most common: Form S-1: The most comprehensive registration statement Form S-2: An abbreviated form for present registrants who

have other publicly traded stock Form S-3: A brief form available for large, established

registrants whose stock has been trading for several years

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The Registration Statement Form S-1 has two different levels of disclosure

Part I: “Prospectus,” is intended primarily for investors

Part II includes more detailed information The statement must be signed by the principal

executive, financial, and accounting officers, as well as a majority of the company’s board of directors

The company then submits its registration statement to an SEC review by the Division of Corporation Finance

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SEC review and public offering Most first-time registrants receive a “customary

review,” which is a thorough examination by the SEC that may result in: Acceptance, or A comment letter specifying the deficiencies that

must be corrected

Established companies that already have stock widely traded generally are subject to a summary review or a cursory review

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SEC review and public offering Once the registration statement becomes

effective, the company may begin selling securities to the public

This review period is 20 days unless the company receives a comment letter from the SEC

Between the time the registration statement is presented to the SEC and its effective date, the company may issue a preliminary prospectus (a red herring prospectus), which provides tentative information to investors about an upcoming issue

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SEC review and public offering The company prepares a “tombstone ad” in the

business press to inform investors of the upcoming offering

The time period between the initial decision to offer securities and the actual sale may not exceed 120 days

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Shelf registration rule: For large, established companies with other

issues of stock already actively traded These companies may file a registration

statement with the SEC for a stock issue that may be “brought off the shelf ” and, with the aid of an underwriter, updated within a very short time, usually two to three days

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Accountants’ legal liability in the registration process Under section 11 of the 1933 act, accountants are

liable for any materially false or misleading information to the effective date of the registration statement

The underwriters handling the sale of the securities often require a “comfort letter” from the registrant’s public accountants for the period between the filing date and the effective date

This letter provides additional evidence that the public accountant has not found any adverse financial changes since the filing date

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Which of the following is not a step in the registration process?

a. The company selects and underwriter.b. The company prepares a registration

statement.c. The SEC reviews the registration

statement.d. The SEC’s Chief Accountant signs a

letter of attestation regarding the offering.

e. The company begins selling securities.

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Understand periodic reporting requirements.

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Periodic Reporting Requirements

Companies with more than $10 million in assets and whose securities are held by more than 500 persons must file annual and other periodic reports as updates on their economic activities

The three basic forms used for this updating are Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, and Form 8-K

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Form 10-K is the annual filing to the SEC “Accelerated filers” must file their Form 10-K

within 60 days after the end of the company’s fiscal year

Small businesses, and others who do not meet the requirements for an accelerated filer, have until 90 days after the end of their fiscal years

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Form 10-K has four parts Parts I, II, and III include:

The management’s discussion and analysis The audited financial statements and footnotes The report by management on the internal

control structure and the assessment of the effectiveness of those controls

The auditor’s opinion At least five years of condensed financial

information disclosures Part IV contains additional schedules and

exhibits

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Form 10-Q is the quarterly report to the SEC Accelerated filers must file a Form 10-Q within

35 days after the end of each of their first three quarters

Other companies must file within 45 days after the end of each of their first three quarters

No Form 10-Q is filed for the fourth quarter because that is when the Form 10-K is filed

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Form 10-Q has two parts Part I includes comparative financial statements

prepared in accordance with ASC 270 and ASC 740

Part II is an update on significant matters occurring since the last quarter

Form 8-K is used to disclose unscheduled material events Companies must file a Form 8-K within four

business days of the occurrence of a “triggering event”

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Schedule 13D Filed by those who acquire a beneficial ownership of

more than 5 percent of a class of registered equity securities and must be filed within 10 days after such an acquisition

Beneficial ownership - Directly or indirectly having the power to vote the shares or investment power to sell the security

Proxy statements Materials submitted to shareholders for votes on

corporate matters In many cases, voting on these matters takes place at the

annual meeting but it may also occur at a special meeting

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Accountants’ legal liability in periodic reporting The 1934 Securities Exchange Act provides for a

limited level of legal exposure from involvement in the preparation and filing of periodic reports

Civil liability is imposed for filing materially false or misleading statements

Accountants are provided with due diligence defences

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Which of the following is not one of the three required disclosures of publicly traded companies?

a. Form 10-Kb. Form 10-Qc. Form 8-Kd. Form 8-Q

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Understand requirements for management reporting laws.

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Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977

Congress passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) as a major amendment to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

The FCPA has two major sections: Part I prohibits foreign bribes Part II requires publicly held companies to

maintain an adequate system of internal control and accurate records

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Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Signed into law on July 30, 2002 Gained impetus after the revelations about

accounting and financial mismanagement at Enron, WorldCom, and others

The legislation (broadly known as SOX) has a number of major implications for accountants

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Sarbanes-Oxley Act – Major Sections

Title I: Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Title II: Auditor Independence Title III: Corporate Responsibility Title IV: Enhanced Financial Disclosures Title V: Analyst Conflicts of Interest Title VI: Commission Resources and Authority Title VII: Studies and Reports Title VIII: Corporate and Criminal Fraud Accountability Title IX: White-Collar Crime Penalty Enhancements Title X: Sense of Congress Regarding Corporate Tax

Returns Title XI: Corporate Fraud and Accountability

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Which of the following statements is NOT true about management reporting laws?

a. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) is a major amendment to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

b. The FCPA prohibits foreign bribes and requires internal controls.

c. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was enacted due to suspected fraud of Microsoft Inc. executives.

d. SOX requires regular, detailed internal control testing.

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Understand disclosure requirements.

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Disclosure Requirements

Management Discussion and Analysis MD&A of a company’s financial condition and

results of operations is part of the basic information package required in all major filings with the SEC

The items now required in the MD&A are: liquidity, capital resources, results of operations, off-balance sheet arrangements, tabular disclosure of contractual obligations

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Disclosure Requirements

Pro forma disclosures Essentially “what-if ” financial presentations

often taking the form of summarized financial statements

They show the effects of major transactions that occur after the end of the fiscal period or that have occurred during the year but are not fully reflected in the company’s historical cost financial statements

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Which of the following is true about additional financial disclosures?

a. MD&A stands for “Management Disclosure and Admissions.”

b. MD&A is required in all major SEC filings.c. Pro forma disclosures are “what-if ”

financial presentations often taking the form of summarized financial statements .

d. Pro forma disclosures show the effects of major transactions that have occurred during the year but are not reflected in the financial statements.

Conclusion

The End

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