Semiannual earnings option offers public companies modest savings and a costlier capital bill
The Securities and Exchange Commission, led by Chair Paul Atkins, has proposed letting public companies report earnings every six months instead of every three, a requirement in place since 1970. The agency estimates average savings of around US$200,000 a year per firm. Since comments opened in May 2026, over 280,000 letters have arrived, more than 99% opposed, according to an accounting professor's tracker.
The compliance saving is easy to book; the cost that never reaches that ledger is the price of capital. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association warned investors may demand higher returns for receiving information later, and Federated Hermes flagged a signaling risk. Even so, Eli Lilly backs the option and 58% of firms surveyed by Financial Executives International indicated they would switch.
Source: The Conversation · October 2, 2026