when a company fails to file a 10 q by the filing deadline it must make a non timely nt filing of sec form nt 10 q 
an nt filing must explain why the deadline has not been met it includes a request for an additional five days to file as long as a company has a reasonable explanation the sec allows late filings within a specified time period common reasons why companies are not able to file on time include mergers and acquisitions m a corporate litigation an ongoing review by corporate auditors or lingering effects from bankruptcy a 10 q filing is considered timely if it is filed within this extension period failure to comply with this extended deadline results in consequences including the potential loss of the sec registration removal from stock exchanges and legal ramifications components of sec form 10 qthere are two parts to a 10 q filing the first part contains relevant financial information covering the period this includes condensed financial statements management discussion analysis of the financial condition of the entity disclosures regarding market risk and internal controls 2the second part contains all other pertinent information this includes legal proceedings unregistered sales of equity securities the use of proceeds from the sale of unregistered sales of equity and defaults upon senior securities the company discloses any other information and includes exhibits in this section form 10 q and the requirement for filing it was established by the securities and exchange act of 1934 the aim was to promote transparency in public companies operations by providing investors with the financial position of companies on an ongoing basis importance of sec form 10 qthe 10 q provides a window into the financial health of a company investors can use the form to get a sense of its quarterly earnings and other elements of its operations and to compare them to previous quarters thus it is a dependable performance tracking tool some areas of interest to investors that are commonly visible in the 10 q include changes to working capital and or accounts receivables factors affecting a company s inventory share buybacks and even any legal risks that a company faces you can compare a close competitor s 10 q to that of a company in which you are invested or considering whether to invest to see how its performance stacks up this will give you an idea of whether it s a strong choice where its weaknesses are and how it could improve other important sec filingsthe 10 q is one of many reports that public companies are required to file with the sec other important and mandated filings include form 10 k the 10 k must be filed once per year and includes the final quarter of the company s performance replacing a fourth quarter 10 q the 10 k summarizes the year often contains more detailed information than an annual report and must be filed within 90 days of the end of a company s fiscal year it generally includes a summary of the company s operations management s financial outlook financial statements and any legal or administrative issues involving the company form 8 k this report is filed if there are any changes or developments to a business that didn t make the 10 q or 10 k reports the 8 k is considered an unscheduled document and may contain information such as press releases if a company disposes of or acquires assets has announcements of executive hiring or departures or goes into receivership this information is filed with an 8 k annual report a company s annual report is filed every year and contains a wealth of company news including but not limited to general information about the company a letter to shareholders from the ceo financial statements and an auditors report this report is submitted a few months after the end of a company s fiscal year the report is available through a company s website or investor relations team and can also be obtained from the sec 