SEC Launches "Financial Explorer"

The SEC  announced the launch of the “Financial Explorer” on the SEC Web site which, according to Chair Cox, will help investors analyze the financial results of public companies.  According to the press release, Financial Explorer paints the picture of corporate financial performance with diagrams and charts, using financial information provided to the SEC as “interactive data” in eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL).

“XBRL is fast becoming the universal language for the exchange of business information and it is the future of financial reporting,” said Chairman Cox. “With Financial Explorer or another XBRL viewer, investors will be able to quickly make sense of financial statements. In the near future, potentially millions of people will be able to analyze and compare financial statements and make better-informed investment decisions. That’s a big benefit to ordinary investors.”