Annual Report

Annual report

Yearly record of a publicly held company's financial condition. It includes a description of the firm's operations, as well as balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement information. SEC rules require that it be distributed to all shareholders. A more detailed version is called a 10-K.

---

Annual Report

A report that a publicly-traded company is required to distribute to shareholders each year. The report contains information on the company's financial state, such as operational income and net profit. Sometimes, it also contains an accountant's opinion on the general health of the company. Generally, the front part of the annual report states the "bottom line," while the last part contains more detailed financial information. For example, the front part of the report may contain a brief essay stating, "Our company is healthy for reasons A, B, and C." At the conclusion of that essay, the stockholder may view its financial statements. See also: Stockholder's report.

---

annual report

A firm's annual statement of operating and financial results. The annual report contains an income statement, a balance sheet, a statement of changes in financial position, an auditor's report, and a summary of operations. Because many annual reports are prepared with public relations as a primary focus, serious investors should obtain a copy of a firm's 10-K in order to obtain detailed financial data.

---

Annual report. By law, each publicly held corporation must provide its shareholders with an annual report showing its income and balance sheet.

In most cases, it contains not only financial details but also a message from the chairman, a description of the company's operations, and an overview of its achievements.

Most annual reports are glossy affairs that also serve as marketing pieces. Copies are generally available from the company's investor relations office, and annual reports may even appear on the company's website. The company's 10-K report is a more comprehensive look at its finances.