The CEO is not a member of the "professional investment community" either.
I still maintain that the final certification could come with the annual, but if the accounting firm has examined the data quarter by quarter before it is released the quarterlies would be audited in the common meaning of the term.
au·dit (ôdt) n. 1. An examination of records or financial accounts to check their accuracy. 2. An adjustment or correction of accounts. 3. An examined and verified account.
1. An examination and verification of a company's financial and accounting records and supporting documents by a professional, such as a Certified Public Accountant.