In 2009, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) mandated public firms to file their financial statements using eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). The SEC's main motive behind this mandate is that XBRL filings would enhance the informational efficiency in the stock markets by making...

In December 2008, the SEC approved final rules which require companies to submit financial statements in XBRL format with their SEC filings, beginning with quarterly June 2009 filings for the largest companies and within three years for all public companies. Previously, the SEC established a...