Every domestic American public company reports to investors by the quarter. It files a Form 10-Q for each of the first three quarters of its fiscal year, with unaudited financial statements, and an annual report on Form 10-K. Companies, analysts and the financial press speak of Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4.
In September 2025 President Trump called for an end to quarterly reporting. On May 5, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed letting companies file a semiannual report on a new Form 10-S. Under the proposal, a company that does not choose this option stays on quarterly reporting. As of October 2026 the proposal had not been adopted.