AI Summaries for 8-K Filings: What Happened and Why It Matters
8-K filings now include plain-English summaries that explain the key facts in seconds. No legal jargon, no 50-page PDFs—just what you need to know.
8-K filings are how public companies announce material events. CEO resigns, acquisition closes, quarterly earnings miss—it all hits the SEC as an 8-K.
The problem: these filings are written by lawyers for regulators. When a company announces a major acquisition, you get 15 pages of legalese, exhibit references, and boilerplate disclosures. The actual news is buried somewhere in the middle.
During earnings season, you might have 50 8-Ks to get through before the market opens. Reading every one cover-to-cover isn't realistic.
We just added AI summaries to every 8-K filing on Earnings Feed.
What You Get
Every 8-K now includes a Research Summary at the top of the page. It answers three questions:
- What happened? The lead fact, with specific names, dates, and dollar amounts.
- Key details. The 2-4 facts that actually matter.
- Why it matters. What this means for investors, in plain English.
No speculation. No generic filler. Just the facts from the filing, structured so you can decide in 15 seconds whether to dig deeper.
Before and After
Here's what reading an executive departure 8-K looks like now:
The raw filing:
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
(b) On December 18, 2025, John Smith notified the Board of Directors of ABC Corporation that he will resign from his position as Chief Financial Officer, effective January 15, 2026. Mr. Smith's resignation is not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices...
[12 more paragraphs]
The summary:
ABC Corporation CFO John Smith to Resign in January
What Happened ABC Corporation announced the resignation of CFO John Smith, effective January 15, 2026. Smith has served as CFO since 2019.
Key Details
- Smith will receive $2.4M in severance under his existing employment agreement
- COO Jane Doe will serve as interim CFO during the search
- The company has retained Spencer Stuart to find a replacement
Why It Matters CFO departures during a strategic review period often precede broader changes. The "no disagreement" language is standard but the timing—two weeks before Q4 earnings—is notable.
Same information. Useful in 15 seconds instead of 5 minutes.
When It Helps Most
Earnings season. Item 2.02 filings (Results of Operations and Financial Condition) hit fast and heavy. Summaries let you triage which companies beat, missed, or guided down without opening every PDF.
M&A announcements. Item 1.01 (Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement) filings bury the deal terms in dense legal language. Summaries surface the price, structure, and expected close date upfront.
Executive changes. Item 5.02 filings mix routine board appointments with surprise CEO departures. Summaries tell you which is which before you click through.
Bankruptcy and delisting. Item 1.03 and 3.01 filings are time-sensitive. Summaries get you to the material facts immediately.
Available Now
Summaries appear automatically on new 8-K filings as they hit the SEC. Pull up any filing from the past few days to see it in action:
The SEC filing is always the authoritative source. Summaries are designed to help you triage faster, not replace reading the original document for investment decisions.