Financial Intelligence
8-K Current Report Signals
70+ signal subtypes from real-time SEC event filings. Detect acquisitions, CEO changes, bankruptcies, and material events within 4 business days of occurrence across 4,500+ companies.
Companies Covered
Signal Subtypes
Refresh Cadence
Event Lag
What Are 8-K Filing Signals?
8-K filings are the SEC's mechanism for companies to disclose material events as they happen. Unlike annual or quarterly reports that follow a predictable schedule, 8-K filings are triggered by specific events: a CEO departure, a major acquisition, a data breach, entry into a significant contract, or the delisting of securities.
Companies must file 8-K reports within four business days of a triggering event, making them the fastest source of confirmed corporate intelligence from a regulatory filing. While news articles may report rumors, an 8-K filing represents a legally binding disclosure that the event has actually occurred.
Autobound extracts 70+ signal subtypes from 8-K filings, organized by the SEC's standardized item numbering system. Item 1.01 covers new material agreements, Item 2.01 covers asset acquisitions or dispositions, Item 5.02 covers executive departures, and so on. Each item type maps to a different set of sales opportunities.
The real-time nature of 8-K signals makes them particularly powerful for sales teams. When a company files an 8-K announcing a new CEO, that creates an immediate window for vendor reevaluation. When an 8-K discloses an acquisition, the combined entity will need to consolidate technology stacks. These events create time-sensitive selling opportunities that degrade quickly if not acted upon.
Example Signal Subtypes
Compare Signal Types
Financial Signal Types at a Glance
| Signal Type | Filing Frequency | Subtypes | Lag Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-K Annual Reports | Annual | 70+ | ~60 days after fiscal year end | Strategic direction, risk factors, investment priorities |
| 10-Q Quarterly Reports | Quarterly | 18+ | 40-45 days after quarter end | Revenue momentum, margin shifts, quarterly pivots |
| 8-K Current Reports | Event-driven | 70+ | 4 business days | Leadership changes, M&A, material events |
| Earnings Transcripts | Quarterly | 40+ | 1-2 days after call | Executive quotes, budget commitments, tech mentions |
| 20-F Foreign Filings | Annual | 13+ | ~4 months after fiscal year end | International company strategy and risk factors |
| 6-K Foreign Reports | Event-driven | 18+ | Varies | Foreign company quarterly updates and events |
See It in Action
Real-World Example
Signal Detected
Starbucks files an 8-K disclosing a new CEO appointment from outside the company, signaling a strategic direction change.
Sales Action
Your team immediately reaches out to Starbucks' technology leadership: 'With new leadership driving transformation, we help companies accelerate their tech modernization during transitions.'
Result
2x faster deal velocity because new executives make 70% of vendor decisions in their first 100 days.
Data Schema
8-K Signal Data Schema
8-K signals capture material corporate events with SEC item classification. Each signal includes the specific 8-K item type, event details, and sales relevance scoring.
{
"signal_id": "e7a29f41-3c88-4d5e-b21a-6f8c45d92e37",
"signal_type": "8k",
"signal_subtype": "ceoChange",
"detected_at": "2026-01-22T10: 45: 28Z",
"association": "company",
"company": {
"name": "Starbucks Corporation",
"domain": "www.starbucks.com",
"ticker": "SBUX",
"linkedin_url": "linkedin.com/company/starbucks",
"industries": ["Restaurants"],
"employee_count_low": 300000
},
"data": {
"summary": "New CEO appointed from outside the company, signaling strategic direction change.",
"detail": "Starbucks disclosed in Item 5.02 of their 8-K filing that the Board appointed Brian Niccol as CEO...",
"relevance": 0.95,
"confidence": "high",
"sentiment": "neutral",
"source_url": "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/829224/...",
"sec_item": "5.02",
"signal_category": "organizational",
"sales_relevance": "New leadership typically reevaluates vendor relationships within 90 days"
}
}Use Cases
How Sales Teams Use 8-K Current Report Signals
Leadership Change Outreach
New C-suite executives reevaluate existing vendor relationships within their first 90 days. 8-K filings confirm these changes with legal certainty before news coverage, giving you a head start.
M&A Technology Consolidation
Acquisitions and mergers create urgent technology consolidation needs. The acquiring company must rationalize overlapping tools, creating opportunities for platform vendors.
Contract Expiration Monitoring
Material definitive agreements disclosed in 8-K filings reveal contract terms with existing vendors. Track when competitors' contracts are being signed or terminated.
Financial Distress Detection
Bankruptcy filings, going concern notices, and defaults on obligations are disclosed via 8-K. These signals help identify companies that may need restructuring advisory or cost-reduction solutions.
How It Works
From Raw Data to Actionable Signals
Autobound transforms unstructured data into structured, scored signals your team can act on immediately.
Autobound Ingests
Raw data from SEC EDGAR, earnings call transcripts, financial data APIs is continuously collected and normalized.
AI Extracts & Scores
ML models extract signal subtypes with relevance scoring, confidence levels, and sentiment analysis.
You Receive
Structured JSONL signals delivered via REST API, GCS Push, Generate Insights API, or Flat File export.
Flexible Delivery
Access 8-K Current Report Signals Your Way
8-K Current Report Signals are available through all Autobound delivery methods. Choose the approach that fits your infrastructure.
REST API
Real-time access with subtype filtering
300 req/min
GCS Push
Automated delivery to your bucket
JSONL + Parquet
Generate Insights API
On-demand LLM-ranked insights
AI relevance scoring
Flat File
Bulk exports for data warehouses
CSV, JSON, ParquetRelated Signals
Combine for Deeper Intelligence
8-K Current Report Signals become more powerful when combined with related signal types. Cross-referencing multiple signals reveals patterns that no single source can surface alone.
“We see a 30% increase in retention for users after they engage with IntentMail. Autobound's AI technology has been a game-changer for our Priority Engine platform.”
Justin Hoskins
VP of Product Strategy, TechTarget
API Documentation
Explore the API
Full schema reference, sample requests, and integration guides. Everything you need to start consuming 8-K Current Report Signals in your application.
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