Marketplace Morning Report Do we need quarterly earnings reports?
Mar 18, 2026
Kristen Schwab, Marketplace reporter on business and regulatory affairs, breaks down the push to shift from quarterly to semiannual corporate earnings reporting. She explains why companies favor fewer filings. She also covers worries about reduced transparency for investors and what regulators are weighing.
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WNBA Reaches Preliminary Pay Deal
- The WNBA and its players announced a verbal preliminary collective bargaining agreement after talks that lasted months.
- The deal ties some player salaries to league revenue, could push top pay to about $1 million, and still needs player and board ratification.
Debate Over Cutting Quarterly Earnings Reports
- The SEC is considering reducing mandatory earnings reports from quarterly to semiannual, a change many companies support to cut cost and short-term pressure.
- Critics like Jessica Wachter warn less frequent reporting could reduce transparency and let companies hide unfavorable details.
Quarterly Reports Can Encourage Short-Termism
- Quarterly reporting can create noisy short-term signals that prompt companies to chase transient results instead of long-term strategy.
- John Blank notes reducing reports would free finance teams and reduce reaction to temporary fluctuations like bad weather.