An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company's

Company

A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...

 activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholder

Shareholder

A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....

s and other interested people information about the company's activities and financial performance. Most jurisdictions require companies to prepare and disclose annual reports, and many require the annual report to be filed at the company's registry. Companies listed on a stock exchange

Stock exchange

A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...

 are also required to report at more frequent intervals (depending upon the rules of the stock exchange involved).

Typically annual reports will include:

• Chairperson's
  Board of directors
  A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
  
   report
• CEO's
  Chief executive officer
  A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
  
   report
• Auditor's report on corporate governance
• Mission statement
  Mission statement
  A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
  
  
• Corporate governance
  Corporate governance
  Corporate governance is a number of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions which have impact on the way a company is controlled...
  
   statement of compliance
• Statement of directors' responsibilities
• Invitation to the company's AGM

as well as financial statements

Financial statements

A financial statement is a formal record of the financial activities of a business, person, or other entity. In British English—including United Kingdom company law—a financial statement is often referred to as an account, although the term financial statement is also used, particularly by...

 including:

• Auditor's report
  Auditor's report
  The auditor's report is a formal opinion, or disclaimer thereof, issued by either an internal auditor or an independent external auditor as a result of an internal or external audit or evaluation performed on a legal entity or subdivision thereof...
  
   on the financial statements
• Balance sheet
  Balance sheet
  In financial accounting, a balance sheet or statement of financial position is a summary of the financial balances of a sole proprietorship, a business partnership or a company. Assets, liabilities and ownership equity are listed as of a specific date, such as the end of its financial year. A...
  
  
• Statement of retained earnings
  Statement of retained earnings
  The Statement of Retained Earnings are basic financial statements.The statements explain the changes in a company's retained earnings over the reporting...
  
  
• Income statement
  Income statement
  Income statement is a company's financial statement that indicates how the revenue Income statement (also referred to as profit and loss statement (P&L), statement of financial performance, earnings statement, operating statement or statement of operations) is a company's financial statement that...
  
  
• Cash flow statement
  Cash flow statement
  In financial accounting, a cash flow statement, also known as statement of cash flows or funds flow statement, is a financial statement that shows how changes in balance sheet accounts and income affect cash and cash equivalents, and breaks the analysis down to operating, investing, and financing...
  
  
• Notes to the financial statements
  Notes to the Financial Statements
  Notes to financial statements are additional notes and information added to the end of financial statements to supplement the reader with more information. Notes to financial statements help the computation of specific items in the financial statements as well as provide a more comprehensive...
  
  
• Accounting policies

Other information deemed relevant to stakeholders may be included, such as a report on operations for manufacturing firms or corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...

 reports for companies with environmentally or socially sensitive operations. In the case of larger companies, it is usually a sleek, colorful, high gloss publication.

The details provided in the report are of use to investors to understand the company's financial position and future direction. The financial statements are usually compiled in compliance with IFRS

International Financial Reporting Standards

International Financial Reporting Standards are principles-based standards, interpretations and the framework adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board ....

 and/or the domestic GAAP

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting used in any given jurisdiction; generally known as accounting standards...

, as well as domestic legislation (e.g. the SOX

Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 , also known as the 'Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act' and 'Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act' and commonly called Sarbanes–Oxley, Sarbox or SOX, is a United States federal law enacted on July 30, 2002, which...

 in the U.S.).

In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, a more-detailed version of the report, called a Form 10-K

Form 10-K

A Form 10-K is an annual report required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission , that gives a comprehensive summary of a public company's performance...

, is submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.A publicly held company may also issue a much more limited version of an annual report, which is known as a "wrap report." A wrap report is a Form 10-K with an annual report cover wrapped around it.