PRE 14A

DEFINITION

The PRE 14A is a preliminary draft of the proxy statement submitted to the SEC at least 10 days before mailing the final version (DEF 14A) to shareholders. It is required when the matters being voted on are non-routine — such as mergers, charter amendments, or contested elections. Routine annual meetings can skip the preliminary version.

WHY IT MATTERS FOR RETAIL INVESTORS

A PRE 14A filing itself is a signal: it usually means something contested or unusual is coming up — a merger vote, a proxy fight, a major governance change. If you see one for a company you own, read it; the SEC review process may force the company to disclose additional details before the DEF 14A goes out.

RELATED TERMS

• DEF 14A