US President Donald Trump has renewed his call to scrap quarterly earnings reports, arguing that the practice is costly and encourages short-term thinking at the expense of long-term strategy.

In a Truth Social post, Trump urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to let public companies shift to semi-annual reporting instead of filing updates every three months. “It would save money, and allow managers to focus on properly running their companies,” he wrote, adding that quarterly reporting was “not good for business.”

The US has required companies to report results on a quarterly basis since 1970. While the system is meant to provide transparency for investors, critics like Trump argue that it forces executives to prioritise short-term profits over sustainable growth.

This is not the first time Trump has raised the issue. During his first term in the White House, he also pressed for an end to quarterly reports, but the plan failed to gain traction. Now, the push has fresh momentum. The Long-Term Stock Exchange, a trading venue aimed at reducing short-term market pressures, has said it intends to petition the SEC to allow firms to report results only twice a year.

Some of the biggest names in business have also criticised the system. Warren Buffett and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon have both questioned the benefits of quarterly financial guidance, warning that it encourages companies to “manage for the quarter” rather than focus on long-term investments.

Still, many investors and shareholder groups argue that reducing reporting would undermine transparency and increase volatility, leaving markets less informed about corporate health. Any regulatory change is likely to spark fierce debate.

Trump compared US practices to China’s, claiming Chinese firms take a far longer-term view. “Did you ever hear the statement that, ‘China has a 50 to 100 year view on management of a company, whereas we run our companies on a quarterly basis??? Not good!!!’” he wrote.

Whether the SEC, under its current leadership, will take up the proposal remains to be seen. For now, Trump’s comments have reignited one of Wall Street’s longest-running debates: should companies be judged every three months, or every six?