SEC 8-K Analysis

Analyze 8-K filings to extract material events and corporate changes for public companies using the Octagon MCP server.

Prerequisites

Ensure Octagon MCP is configured in your AI agent (Cursor, Claude Desktop, Windsurf, etc.). See references/mcp-setup.md for installation instructions.

Workflow

1. Identify Analysis Parameters

Determine the following before querying:

Ticker: Stock symbol (e.g., AAPL, MSFT, GOOGL)
Time Period (optional): Recent filings, specific date range
Event Type (optional): Specific 8-K items of interest

2. Execute Query via Octagon MCP

Use the octagon-agent tool with a natural language prompt:

Analyze recent 8-K filings for <TICKER> and extract material events and corporate changes.

MCP Call Format:

{
  "server": "octagon-mcp",
  "toolName": "octagon-agent",
  "arguments": {
    "prompt": "Analyze recent 8-K filings for AAPL and extract material events and corporate changes."
  }
}

3. Expected Output

The agent returns structured 8-K analysis including:

Filing Summary:

Filing date: January 29, 2026
Event category: Item 2.02 (Results of Operations and Financial Condition)

Material Events:

No material corporate changes in this filing
Financial focus: Q1 2026 results disclosure

Corporate Changes:

No acquisitions, dispositions, or management changes

Data Sources: octagon-sec-agent

4. Interpret Results

See references/interpreting-results.md for guidance on:

Understanding 8-K item categories
Assessing event materiality
Tracking corporate changes over time

Example Queries

Recent 8-K Analysis:

Analyze recent 8-K filings for AAPL and extract material events and corporate changes.

Leadership Changes:

Find any 8-K filings for TSLA in 2025 that disclose executive departures or appointments.

M&A Activity:

Extract 8-K filings related to acquisitions or mergers for MSFT in the past 6 months.

Earnings Announcements:

Summarize the most recent 8-K earnings release filing for GOOGL.

Material Agreements:

Find 8-K filings disclosing material definitive agreements for AMZN.

Auditor Changes:

Has NVDA filed any 8-K filings regarding auditor changes in the past year?

8-K Item Categories

Section 1 - Registrant's Business and Operations

Item	Description	Materiality
1.01	Entry into Material Definitive Agreement	High
1.02	Termination of Material Definitive Agreement	High
1.03	Bankruptcy or Receivership	Critical
1.04	Mine Safety Reporting	Industry-specific
1.05	Material Cybersecurity Incidents	High

Section 2 - Financial Information

Item	Description	Materiality
2.01	Completion of Acquisition or Disposition	High
2.02	Results of Operations and Financial Condition	Medium
2.03	Creation of Direct Financial Obligation	High
2.04	Triggering Events (Acceleration)	High
2.05	Costs for Exit or Disposal Activities	Medium
2.06	Material Impairments	High

Section 3 - Securities and Trading Markets

Item	Description	Materiality
3.01	Notice of Delisting or Transfer	Critical
3.02	Unregistered Sales of Equity	Medium
3.03	Material Modification to Rights	High

Section 4 - Matters Related to Accountants and Financial Statements

Item	Description	Materiality
4.01	Changes in Certifying Accountant	High
4.02	Non-Reliance on Previously Issued Financials	Critical

Section 5 - Corporate Governance and Management

Item	Description	Materiality
5.01	Changes in Control	Critical
5.02	Departure/Appointment of Directors/Officers	High
5.03	Amendments to Articles/Bylaws	Medium
5.04	Temporary Suspension of Trading	High
5.05	Amendments to Code of Ethics	Medium
5.06	Change in Shell Company Status	High
5.07	Shareholder Vote Results	Medium
5.08	Shareholder Nominations	Low

Section 6 - Asset-Backed Securities

Item	Description	Materiality
6.01-6.05	ABS-specific disclosures	Industry-specific

Section 7 - Regulation FD

Item	Description	Materiality
7.01	Regulation FD Disclosure	Varies

Section 8 - Other Events

Item	Description	Materiality
8.01	Other Events (Voluntary)	Varies

Section 9 - Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item	Description	Materiality
9.01	Financial Statements and Exhibits	Supporting

Event Materiality Assessment

Critical Events (Immediate Action)

Event Type	Examples
Bankruptcy	Chapter 11 filing, receivership
Restatement	Non-reliance on financials
Delisting	Exchange notice received
Control Change	Acquisition, tender offer
Cyber Incident	Material breach disclosed

High Priority Events

Event Type	Examples
M&A	Acquisition completion, divestitures
Leadership	CEO/CFO departure, board changes
Agreements	Major contracts, partnerships
Financial	Impairments, debt obligations
Auditor	Auditor change, disagreements

Medium Priority Events

Event Type	Examples
Earnings	Quarterly results (Item 2.02)
Restructuring	Cost reduction programs
Governance	Bylaw amendments, vote results
Securities	Stock issuances, modifications

Tracking 8-K Patterns

Frequency Analysis

Pattern	What It May Indicate
High frequency	Active M&A, restructuring, volatility
Low frequency	Stable operations, mature company
Clustered	Major corporate event unfolding
Regular	Routine quarterly disclosures

Content Evolution

Track over time:

Recurring themes - Ongoing issues or strategies
New item types - Emerging concerns or opportunities
Tone changes - Shifting management sentiment
Exhibit quality - Detail and transparency level

Analysis Tips

Check all items: 8-Ks often contain multiple items - don't focus only on headlines.
Read exhibits: Press releases and agreements in exhibits contain critical details.
Note timing: Friday afternoon or holiday filings may attempt to minimize attention.
Track patterns: Frequent 8-Ks may signal ongoing corporate activity.
Cross-reference: Compare 8-K disclosures with subsequent 10-Q/10-K filings.
Monitor amendments: 8-K/A filings update or correct prior disclosures.

Use Cases

Event-driven investing: Track material events for trading signals
M&A monitoring: Follow acquisition announcements and completions
Governance oversight: Monitor leadership and board changes
Risk management: Identify material risks as they emerge
Compliance tracking: Ensure timely disclosure monitoring

sec-8k-analysis