How to use market news and SEC filings in stock analysis
Learn how news shows what is happening around a company and how SEC filings show what is happening inside it.
Market news helps you understand what is happening around a company. It includes things like new product launches, partnerships, lawsuits, regulation changes, management changes, or shifts in the industry. News often explains why a stock price is moving in the short term.
For example, a company announcing a major partnership can signal future growth. A legal issue or regulatory investigation can introduce risk. News gives you early signals about opportunities or problems, but it can also be noisy or emotional, especially during volatile markets.
That’s why news should never be used alone.
SEC filings show what is happening inside the company. These are official documents that public companies must submit by law, such as 10-K annual reports, 10-Q quarterly reports, and 8-K updates for important events. Filings include financial statements, risks, debt details, cash flow, and management commentary.
Unlike news headlines, SEC filings are factual, structured, and regulated. They may not move as fast as breaking news, but they are far more reliable for understanding a company’s true financial health and long-term direction.
The smartest approach is to use both together.
News tells you what the market is reacting to right now.
SEC filings tell you whether the business actually supports that reaction.
In simple words
News shows the world outside the company.
Filings show the truth inside the company.