Securities and Exchange Commission officials issued a unprecedented statement this week urging companies to be forthright and open in their earnings reports, calls with investors, and other disclosures during this time of economic upheaval. The statement underscores the unusual times companies are facing and the disruption the Coronavirus Crisis has created.
“In the coming weeks, our public companies will be issuing earnings releases and conducting analyst and investor calls. We urge companies to provide as much information as is practicable regarding their current financial and operating status, as well as their future operational and financial planning,” said Jay Clayton, SEC chairman and William Hinman, director of the division of corporation finance.
Among the observations and requests included in the statement are:
- Company disclosures should reflect this state of affairs and outlook and, in particular, respond to investor interest in: (1) where the company stands today, operationally and financially, (2) how the company’s COVID-19 response, including its efforts to protect the health and well-being of its workforce and its customers, is progressing, and (3) how its operations and financial condition may change as all our efforts to fight COVID-19 progress. Historical information may be relatively less significant.
- Providing detailed information regarding future operating conditions and resource needs is challenging, including because our response strategies are in their incipient stages (and are likely to change), but it is important on many levels. Updating and refining these estimates should become less difficult over time.
Companies have just begun issuing earning reports for the first quarter, many with cautions about the dramatic effects the crisis is having on their businesses. 