President Donald Trump on Monday advocated for a significant change in corporate reporting requirements, suggesting that U.S. companies should be permitted to disclose earnings on a semiannual rather than quarterly basis. The announcement, made on Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, marks a renewed push for a measure the president initially raised in 2018.
Trump argued that moving to biannual reporting could reduce compliance costs and deter the prevalence of short-term thinking among publicly traded firms. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) echoed this sentiment, signaling that the proposal will now be prioritized on its regulatory agenda, according to the source close to the matter.
In a marked departure from 2018—when the SEC sought public feedback but ultimately kept quarterly reporting rules unchanged—sources close to the agency confirmed that Chairman Atkins and the Commission now view the initiative as a key effort to further cut unnecessary regulatory burdens.
While some market participants voiced support for the potential shift, critics warn that extending the reporting period could result in diminished corporate transparency and heightened market volatility. Investor advocates also argue that less frequent disclosure could enable companies to mask or delay the release of negative developments, potentially undermining confidence in U.S. equities.
