6-K vs 8-K: foreign vs US current reports
On 6-K vs 8-K, both SEC forms carry a company's interim news, but for different issuers. An 8-K is the current report US domestic companies file for a defined list of material events. A 6-K is what a foreign private issuer furnishes to relay information it has already made public in its home country. 6-K vs 8-K is foreign-issuer relay versus US-issuer report. This guide compares them, factually. It is not investment advice.
Definition
A 6-K versus an 8-K
are the two SEC current-report channels. An 8-K is filed by US domestic companies for specified material events, generally within 4 business days. A 6-K is furnished by foreign private issuers to pass along home-country disclosures, with no fixed deadline. Different issuers, different rules. Source: SEC.
What does an 8-K do?
An 8-K is a prescriptive current report. US domestic companies file it to disclose specified events such as an acquisition, a change of executives, results, or a material agreement. It runs on a short clock, generally 4 business days after the triggering event, and it is a filed report with enumerated items.
What does a 6-K do?
A 6-K is a flexible relay. A foreign private issuer furnishes it to give US investors the same information it has made public in its home market, filed with a foreign exchange, or sent to security holders. There is no enumerated-item list and no fixed deadline; the trigger is the home-country disclosure. Because foreign issuers do not file US quarterly reports, the 6-K carries their interim updates between annual 20-F reports.
How do a 6-K and an 8-K compare?
| What to check | 8-K | 6-K |
|---|---|---|
| Who files | US domestic companies | Foreign private issuers |
| What it reports | A defined list of material events | Home-country disclosures, relayed |
| Deadline | Generally 4 business days | No fixed deadline, promptly after home disclosure |
| Filed or furnished | Generally filed | Furnished |
| Annual companion | 10-K, with 10-Q quarterly | 20-F, with no US quarterly report |
4 business days
General deadline to file an 8-K after the triggering event, versus no fixed deadline for a 6-K
Source: SEC, Form 8-K rules
Which one applies?
It comes down to the issuer. A US domestic company reports current events on an 8-K, on a fixed clock. A non-US company listed in the US relays its home-market news on a 6-K, promptly but without a set deadline. On the annual side, the same split runs through the difference between a 20-F and a 10-K. Knowing which form a company uses tells you which reporting regime it sits under.
Flock decodes filings into dated, source-linked records so you can see what an issuer reported and when. What any of it means for your money is your call to make.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a 6-K and an 8-K?
An 8-K is the current report US domestic companies file for specified material events, generally within 4 business days. A 6-K is what foreign private issuers furnish to relay information they have already made public in their home country. Different issuers, different rules. Source: SEC.
Which is faster, a 6-K or an 8-K?
An 8-K runs on a fixed clock, generally 4 business days after the triggering event. A 6-K has no set deadline; it is furnished promptly after the home-country disclosure. The 8-K is the more time-bound of the two. Source: SEC.
Do foreign companies file 8-Ks?
No. Foreign private issuers use the 6-K for interim news and the annual 20-F, not the 8-K, 10-Q, or 10-K that US domestic companies file. The 6-K is their current-report channel. Source: SEC.
Is a 6-K filed or furnished?
Furnished. The SEC treats a 6-K as furnished rather than filed, which changes its liability posture and how it is incorporated into other filings. An 8-K is generally a filed report. Source: SEC.
Flock tracks these filings, sourced, dated, and linked back to the original. See what smart-money entities disclosed, without the guesswork about what it means.
Disclosures shown are public regulatory filings. Data may be delayed or incomplete. Smart-money entities may no longer hold positions shown. Not investment advice.