Business & finance · also called 8-K, current report
Form 8-K
Form 8-K is the "current report" US public companies file with the SEC to announce major events, such as acquisitions, executive changes or earnings releases, usually within four business days.
Between quarterly and annual reports, important things happen, and the 8-K is how US public companies tell investors promptly. Triggering events include entering or ending material agreements, completing acquisitions or disposals, changes in executives or directors, bankruptcy, changes in auditors, shareholder votes and material impairments. Companies also furnish earnings press releases on 8-Ks.
Most 8-Ks must be filed within four business days of the event. They are often short, pointing to attached exhibits such as press releases or merger agreements.
For people following ad tech deals, 8-Ks are a primary source. Merger announcements, completed take-private deal transactions and debt financings all show up there. For example, holding company and ad tech mergers are typically disclosed on 8-Ks with the merger agreement attached, as happened when Integral Ad Science announced and later completed its acquisition by Novacap in 2025.
Think of it like this
An 8-K is like a breaking-news alert on your phone: short, urgent, and sent when something important has just happened.
An example
An ad tech company signs a deal to be acquired for US$1.9 billion; within four business days it files an 8-K with the merger agreement attached.
Related terms
Form 10-K
Form 10-K is the comprehensive annual report that US public companies must file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including audited financial statements, business description and risk factors.
Form 10-Q
Form 10-Q is the quarterly report US public companies file with the SEC for each of the first three fiscal quarters, containing unaudited financial statements and management's discussion of results.
Earnings report
An earnings report is the periodic announcement, usually quarterly, in which a public company discloses its revenue, profit and other key results, often with an investor call and updated guidance.
Take-private deal
A take-private deal is when an investor, usually a private equity firm, buys all the shares of a public company so it is delisted from the stock exchange and becomes privately owned.
Guidance (forecast)
Guidance is a public company's own forecast of its future results, such as next quarter's revenue or full-year adjusted EBITDA, usually given as a range alongside an earnings report.
Sources: Investor.gov: Form 8-K