An SEC Idea That Could Jolt the IPO Market

Quarterly earnings could be going away. Will this result in more IPOs?

One of the hallmarks of investing in public stocks is receiving quarterly updates from the companies. Those financial results and, even more so, forecasts can sink or lift stocks. Preparing them is such a time-suck for company executives that some startup founders have pointed to these reports as a reason to stay private. 

The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering removing that barrier somewhat, lowering the requirements for public companies to make updates to twice per year. 

Advocates of these updates note they’re designed to protect investors from being saddled with stocks well after a company’s business starts to slow—or worse. But the requirement may be preventing investors from backing great companies, as well. That’s particularly true for individual investors, who are still largely shut out from investing in private startups—despite efforts from companies such as Robinhood.