N-CSR vs N-PORT: shareholder report vs holdings
On N-CSR vs N-PORT, both are filings that registered funds make with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), but they serve different readers. Form N-CSR is the certified shareholder report: financial statements and management information, signed off by the fund's officers. Form N-PORT is the machine-readable portfolio holdings report. This guide compares N-CSR vs N-PORT across what each reports, its format, and its timing. It is not investment advice.
Definition
N-CSR versus N-PORT
are both SEC filings by registered funds. N-CSR is the certified shareholder report, with financial statements and officer certification. N-PORT is the machine-readable portfolio holdings report, with complete quarter-end holdings made public. Source: SEC.
What does each report?
N-CSR is the shareholder report as filed with the regulator. It carries the fund's financial statements, its financial highlights, a schedule of investments, and certifications from the fund's principal executive and financial officers under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. N-PORT is the portfolio report in structured form: the fund's positions, with complete quarter-end holdings made public on EDGAR. N-CSR is the narrative-and-financials package; N-PORT is the holdings data.
How do they differ?
The differences come down to purpose, format, and frequency.
| What to check | N-CSR | N-PORT |
|---|---|---|
| Reports | Certified shareholder report + financials | Portfolio holdings |
| Machine-readable holdings feed | No (report package) | Yes |
| Officer certification | Yes (Sarbanes-Oxley) | No |
| Frequency | Semi-annual (N-CSRS mid-year) | Quarterly |
| Timing | Within 10 days of sending the report to shareholders | Complete quarter-end holdings public on EDGAR |
Report vs data
N-CSR is the certified shareholder report; N-PORT is the structured holdings report
Source: SEC
Which one should you read?
Read whichever matches the question. To read a fund's financial statements and management report, open the N-CSR. To pull structured holdings, use the N-PORT. For how a fund is organized and who services it, that is the N-CEN annual census. And for a manager-level snapshot of large US equity positions across a manager's whole book, the 13F is the disclosure to read.
Both N-CSR and N-PORT sit on the SEC's EDGAR system, free to read. Flock reads disclosure filings and keeps each one dated and linked to its source, so you can move from a summary to the original filing in one step. What any of it means for your money is your call to make.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between N-CSR and N-PORT?
Both are SEC filings by registered funds. Form N-CSR is the certified shareholder report, carrying financial statements and officer certification. Form N-PORT is the machine-readable portfolio holdings report. One is the report to shareholders; the other is the holdings data. Source: SEC.
Which one shows a fund's holdings in data form?
Form N-PORT is the structured holdings report, with complete quarter-end holdings made public on EDGAR. Form N-CSR includes a schedule of investments within the shareholder report, but it is the report package, not the machine-readable holdings feed. Source: SEC.
How often is each filed?
Form N-CSR is filed within 10 days of the fund transmitting its report to shareholders, on a semi-annual cycle, with the mid-year report on N-CSRS. Form N-PORT is filed quarterly, with complete quarter-end holdings made public. Source: SEC.
Are N-CSR and N-PORT filings public?
Yes. Both are filed on the SEC's EDGAR system and are free to read. Search by the fund or fund family name to find either one. Source: SEC EDGAR.
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.