Capital markets support hard working Americans and make everyday life possible.
Our capital markets are fueled by the unseen work of auditors who enhance the trust and confidence of company-reported financial information, giving the people that drive our economy the confidence they need to thrive.
Enhancing trust in company-reported information is a key aspect of the public interest role that public company auditors play in the US and around the world. Public company auditors and policymakers both share a commitment to accurate and independent audits.
Two decades after the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002, audit quality has never been stronger.
The combination of balancing expertise through the multidisciplinary model (MDM) of public company audit firms and the strength of auditor independence requirements created by SOX laid a foundation for audit quality. Over the years, the public company auditing profession have continued to emphasize independence and expertise while also constantly innovating to improve the quality and reliability of audits today — using new technologies, machine learning, and data and analytics. Today, this combination of auditor expertise and independence and continuous innovation all contribute to a strengthening system of audit quality.
SOX laid a foundation for high quality financial reporting, which recognizes that it takes all stakeholders in the financial reporting ecosystem to achieve high quality financial statements and audits.
Building on this foundation, auditors are continuously evolving to the needs of rapidly changing capital markets, including meeting the demand for company information outside of the traditional financial statements such as ESG information. Auditors are also constantly innovating and evolving to maintain high quality audit standards and improve audit quality.
Explore more of our resources on how the public company auditing profession is evolving to build trust in the capital markets and maintain high audit quality.
Learn more about the Value of the Audit
Examine the importance of well-functioning capital markets to the economy, the historical importance of audited financial statements, and the roles and responsibilities of each key stakeholder in the US financial reporting supply chain.
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