Securities and Exchange Commission
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provides extensive statistical and data programs to promote transparency and inform the public about the capital markets. The SEC Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA) is a key part of this effort, integrating financial economics and data analytics into the agency's core mission.
Public-Facing Statistical and Data Resources
The SEC offers several publicly accessible resources, many of which can be found on its "Statistics & Data Visualizations" webpage:
| • | Interactive Data Visualizations: The SEC provides interactive graphics that present statistics on key market elements. These visuals cover a range of topics, including: |
| o | Capital Formation: Statistics on initial public offerings (IPOs), corporate bond offerings, and other registered offerings. |
| o | Market Participants: Data on the number of registered investment advisers, money market funds, and reporting issuers. |
| o | Market Activity: Metrics on U.S. households' participation in capital markets and the volume of offerings. |
| o | Geographic Distributions: Heat maps to show the geographic distribution of activities like Regulation CF offerings. |
| • | Data Library: The SEC identifies and publishes comprehensive data sets extracted from public filings. These data sets are available in downloadable formats like CSV and Excel to assist the public in research and analysis. Some of the available data sets include: |
| o | Financial Statement Data: Information extracted from corporate financial reports filed in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language). |
| o | Crowdfunding Offerings: Quarterly data on offerings that use the Regulation Crowdfunding exemption. |
| o | Form D: Data on notices of exempt offerings of securities. |
| o | Insider Transactions: Filings from senior executives, directors, and large-block shareholders about changes in their company stock holdings. |
| o | Money Market Funds: Monthly reports on money market funds and their portfolio holdings. |
| o | Fails-to-Deliver Data: Information on unsettled trades. |
The EDGAR Database
The Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system is the SEC's primary database for corporate information. All public companies, both domestic and foreign, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. This provides free public access to a wealth of financial and operational data, including quarterly reports (Form 10-Q) and annual reports (Form 10-K). The SEC also provides developer resources, including APIs, to allow for automated access to EDGAR data.
Economic Research and Analysis
The SEC's economic analysis program, housed within DERA, is the agency's primary source of economic advice and analytical support. Staff economists use financial economics and statistical techniques to:
| • | Evaluate the economic effects, costs, and benefits of new regulations and rulemaking initiatives. |
| • | Provide advice on market structure, trading practices, and disclosure standards. |
| • | Assist in enforcement actions by applying statistical methods to investigate evidence and estimate the amount of money to be recovered in cases such as insider trading. |
