Recently, while organizing my investment notes, I realized that many novice investors are actually not very clear about the timing of financial report releases. Rather than saying they don't understand, it's more accurate to say they haven't systematically organized this information. I myself only later realized how significant the impact of knowing the timing of financial reports is on stock selection and decision-making.

Let's start with Taiwan stocks. The regulations for financial reports in Taiwan are among the strictest worldwide. The laws are very rigid, leaving little room for flexibility. All listed companies must complete their disclosures before the designated deadline, which is why Taiwan stocks tend to have relatively high transparency. I previously tracked the financial report release times for large companies like TSMC and MediaTek and found that they usually hold their earnings calls well before the statutory deadline, giving us the opportunity to position ourselves early.

The schedule for financial reports in 2026 is roughly as follows. For annual reports, most companies need to complete disclosures by March 31, but for mega-corporations like TSMC, regulations already require them to report by March 15. Financial holding companies, due to the complexity of consolidated statements, have a deadline extended to April 30. For quarterly reports, Q1 earnings must be announced by May 15, Q2 by August 14, and Q3 by November 14.

An interesting regulation in Taiwan is that all listed companies must announce their monthly revenue before the 10th of each month. Because this figure is very timely, investors often regard it as a leading indicator before quarterly reports are released. I frequently use the performance of monthly revenue to judge the possible trends in upcoming quarterly reports.

Moving over to the US stock market, the situation is a bit different. The timing of financial report releases in the US depends on the company's size. Large accelerated filers (market cap over $700 million) are required to file their 10-K (annual report) within 60 days after the fiscal year-end, mid-sized companies within 75 days, and small companies within 90 days. For quarterly reports (10-Q), large and mid-sized companies must report within 40 days after the quarter ends, while small companies have 45 days.

The peak season for US annual report releases usually falls from late January to the end of February, with most companies announcing before the market opens or after hours. Earnings season for quarterly reports is even more exciting; companies typically start releasing their earnings about 15 days after the quarter ends. Banks usually lead the way, followed by the "super earnings week" for tech stocks. This year, I tracked the Q1 earnings release times for TSMC, Tesla, Microsoft, and Apple, and found that their earnings calls are concentrated from mid to late April through early May, during which stock prices tend to fluctuate more significantly.

To check the timing of financial report releases and related data, the best tool for Taiwan investors is the Taiwan Securities Exchange's Public Information Observation Station (MOPS). This is the official platform where all listed companies must disclose their financial data. Many brokerage apps also have organized earnings call calendars, which are quite convenient. For US stocks, you should visit the SEC's EDGAR database or directly check the investor relations pages on company websites. Websites like Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq, Investing.com, and SeekingAlpha also organize earnings calendars, allowing you to see the release times for multiple companies at once.

Honestly, mastering the timing of financial report releases is no longer just a basic investment skill; it’s an essential capability. Whether in Taiwan or the US, earnings season is often when stock prices fluctuate the most and when investment opportunities are most abundant. If you can get ahead of the game by knowing each company's reporting schedule in advance and doing your homework early, you'll be able to react faster than others when the time comes.