U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C., on September 11, 2025.
Mehmet Eser | Afp | Getty Images
President Donald Trump floated the idea Monday of companies no longer providing earnings report on a quarterly basis and switching to semiannual instead.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the idea is “subject to SEC approval” and would “save money, and allow managers to focus on properly running their companies.”
“Did you ever hear the statement that, ‘China has a 50 to 100 year view on management of a company, whereas we run our companies on a quarterly basis??? Not good!!!'” Trump said.
Current regulations require companies to report on a quarterly basis, though providing forecasts is voluntary. The rules can be changed either from the Securities and Exchange Commission or could be altered by Congress.
Despite Trump’s comments about China, companies there have reporting requirements that are similar to the U.S. if not more stringent. Chinese companies must file quarterly earnings reports as well as semiannual and annual reports.
Companies listed on the Hong Kong exchange, however, only report every six months.
Trump’s proposal would be more in line with practices in the UK and European Union, where companies are required to file semiannually but can issue quarterly reports if they choose.
The wisdom of quarterly reports has come under question before. In a 2018 op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal, Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon advocated doing away with quarterly guidance, though not earnings reports.
Earlier this year, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund proposed switching to semiannual reporting, reasoning that lengthening the time frame would allow companies to focus on the longer term.
(Learn the best 2026 strategies from inside the NYSE with Josh Brown and others at CNBC PRO Live. Tickets and info here.)
Source link
