Correct! This item is used when a company has been bought or taken over. There’s usually some warning before one of these is filed, whether it is triggered by a hostile takeover, planned merger, or an investor buying up just over 50% of the company’s shares. Still, there may be some interesting details in it to include in a story.

Correct! Companies can amend 8-Ks long after they are originally filed, so keep an eye out for these.

Correct! Much of what companies choose to put into 8-K filings doesn’t have to be disclosed in an 8-K at all. This is particularly true of disclosures coded under Item 8.01.

Correct! There’s no rule that says companies have to stick to one topic in an 8-K – some disclose details about multiple unrelated developments.

Correct! Don't overlook or feel intimated by these filings as they can contain important information to help your reporting.

Correct!

That’s correct! As the name suggests, they’re intended for disclosing timely information. 

That’s right. If you see an 8-K listing information under Item 1.03 for a company not already in bankruptcy proceedings, pay attention. This filing outlines the company’s plan for reorganization or liquidation.

Correct! This item is triggered if a company reduces the rights of its shareholders (or debtholders). One common way companies do this is through a so-called poison pill measure, designed to make hostile takeovers more difficult. Simply adopting a “shareholder rights plan” generally triggers Item 1.01, not this item.

That's right! This item prohibits companies from disclosing significant details to select investors. Regulation FD 8-Ks generally disclose some piece of previously undisclosed information that was inadvertently shared with a smaller group of investors, perhaps at an analyst’s conference.