ThinkTankWeekly

Doing Away with Quarterly Reporting: The Right Step for the Wrong Reason

CATO | 2026-06-04 | economy

Topics: United States

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English Summary

The CATO analysis argues against the SEC’s proposed shift to semiannual financial reporting, contending that the justification of reducing short-termism is unsupported by evidence. Research, including a 2018 review and analysis of corporate investment and share repurchases, demonstrates that quarterly reporting has not demonstrably caused short-termism. Furthermore, the UK’s experience following its own mandated quarterly reporting revealed no impact on valuations, while highlighting the significant costs associated with the requirement. The core argument centers on restoring self-determination to companies and investors regarding reporting frequency, a principle supported by historical trends and cost savings.

中文摘要

CATO 的分析認為,證監會提出的將財務報告頻率調整為半年一次的提案缺乏依據,其聲稱旨在減少短期主義的理由並未得到充分支持。研究,包括 2018 年對企業投資和股權回購的審查與分析,表明季度報告並未顯著導致短期主義。此外,英國在實施強制季度報告後沒有發現對估值的影響,同時也凸顯了該要求所帶來的巨大成本。核心論點是恢復企業和投資者就報告頻率自主決定的權利,這一原則得到了歷史趨勢和成本節約的支撐。

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