First Series in the “Financial Statement Analysis” Discussion

This guide provides a step-by-step process for locating and downloading annual report files (10-K reports) from the U.S. EDGAR System, managed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in .xlsx format. These instructions are tailored for users seeking financial information on U.S. public companies.

1. Initiate Your Browser:
   • Open your preferred web browser ensuring you have an active internet connection.
2. Access the EDGAR System:
   • Directly navigate to: EDGAR Search and Access
   • Alternatively, use a search engine to search for “EDGAR” and select the link titled “EDGAR-Search and Access”.
3. Navigate to Company Search:
   • On the EDGAR homepage, select the submenu: “Search for Corporate Central Index Key (CIK)”.
4. Enter Company Information:
   • In the search form, enter the company name. For example, type “Colgate” and press the ‘Send’ button.
5. Review Search Results:
   • Examine the search results for the correct company. For instance, select:
     • Company Name: COLGATE PALMOLIVE CO
     • CIK Code: 0000021665
   • Click on the CIK Code associated with COLGATE PALMOLIVE CO.
6. Company Information Page:
   • The page will redirect to: COLGATE PALMOLIVE CO Information
   • This page will display:
     • Company Information
     • Recent Filings (excluding insider transactions)
     • Selected Submissions including:
       • [+] 8-K (latest report)
       • [+] 10-K (annual report) and 10-Q (quarterly report)
       • [+] Proxy (annual meeting) and information statement
       • [+] Ownership disclosure
7. Select Annual Reports:
   • Click the “[+] 10-K (annual report) and 10-Q (quarterly report)” button.
   • To view all 10-K reports, select the “View all 10-K and 10-Q” option.
   • Use the filter box menu to select “annual & quarterly reports”.
   • Apply date filters from 01-01-2023 to the current date.
   • Choose the 10-K reports with Reporting Dates of 12-31-2023 and 12-31-2022 by clicking the active links.
8. Filing Details Page:
   • Navigate to the “Filing Details” page.
   • Click the blue button labeled “Interactive Data”.
   • A submenu will appear; select “Excel Document”.
9. Download Reports:
   • Download the 2023 and 2022 10-K annual reports for Colgate-Palmolive Co in .xlsx format. The files will be saved in your local computer’s “Download” folder.
10. Open the Files:
    • Use Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to open each downloaded file.
11. Review and Clean Data:
    • Examine the content of the workbooks and worksheets. Clean and format the data as necessary to meet your analysis requirements.

By following these steps, you can efficiently download and prepare financial reports for analysis from the SEC’s EDGAR system.