LibGuides: Market Research: Company Research

Questions To Ask

Questions to ask before you begin your research:

Is the company public or private?
Is the company a subsidiary?
Is the company American or international?

Private companies do not have to disclose any information to the public. They are difficult if not impossible to research.

Public companies are easiest to research. They are regulated by the government (in the U.S., it's the SEC), sell shares to the general public, and must publicly report company and financial information.

Subsidiary companies will not have their own annual reports, and you may not find information on them in the resources listed on this page. You'll need to determine who the parent company is and research the parent company. Journal articles will be a major source for information on subsidiaries.

International companies also won't be included in some of the databases, such as NetAdvantage. Check Mergent or Business Source Complete for international company information.

Find Company Information

This depends upon your need. Best place, if you're unsure--is under the Company Profiles tab. Company profile data provides you with an in-depth overview of the company, the industry, its finances.

"An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company's activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested people information about the company's activities and financial performance. " Wikipedia.

Links below will give you access to annual reports.

Google
You can often find annual reports online at the company's website. Search on the company name then look under "Investor Relations" or a similar heading.
Mergent Online
Choose Basic Search> Search by company name > select Reports tab > select Annual Reports.

Journal, magazine, and newspapers articles offer information on companies from an outsider's viewpoint.

Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Covers all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, accounting, banking, finance and more.
Provides full-text from over 2,000 journals and magazines. Also provides case studies.
Regional Business News This link opens in a new window
Full-text access to business journals, magazines, newspapers and newswires covering all metropolitan and rural areas within the U.S.
Wall Street Journal | Current This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text articles of the WSJ from 1984 to the present. Text only; does not include charts, pictures, graphs.
Wall Street Journal | Historical This link opens in a new window
Provides PDF images of the entire Wall Street Journal (1889 to 2003).

Company profiles provide succinct overviews of a company: an overview, history, key facts, top executives, major products and services, competitors, and locations/subsidiaries. Company profiles are an excellent starting point.

Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Provides comprehensive 30-40 page Marketline company profiles on pubic companies. Run a search of your company's name AND Marketline.
Provides full-text from over 2,000 journals and magazines. Also provides case studies.
Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Business and financial information for over 23,000 U.S. companies: company synopsis, highlights, history, business, property, subsidiaries, long term debt, capital stock, earnings estimates, business segments, executives, ownership, company financials (as reported, prelims, standardized, restated, ratios, analysis), equity pricing, annual reports, filings (government), new (current new articles about the company), competitors, and an option to build a report of your liking, and compare company data.
Includes 30 years of historical stock prices, SEC filings, financials for 15 years "as reported".
NetAdvantage This link opens in a new window
In-depth full-text company and industry information, market news, independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research, data and valuations.
Statista This link opens in a new window
70m private companies, 50,000 public companies. Usually provides a 30+ page report with data: the company overview, global revenue, profitability & liquidity metrics, competitive analysis and industry insights. To access, click on Insights in the top bar, choose Company Insights, Explore.
Sources of information include market research, trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases.

Company comparisons show how your company stacks up against its main competitors.

Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
To compare companies to competitors of your choice, first search for your company-->select the competitors tab. Add competitors by typing them in to the competitor box, select them. Remove competitors by clicking on the X. Choose the click here to create a competitor report-->select competitors-->select data-->select format-->choose create report.

To compare your company to other companies in the industry. Report builder tab-->comparison reports-->compare company against industry-->make choices in boxes 1-3-->select your format-->choose create report.

Includes 30 years of historical stock prices, SEC filings, financials for 15 years "as reported".

Data on your company's competitors.

Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Provides information on and revenue of competitors within the industry.
Includes 30 years of historical stock prices, SEC filings, financials for 15 years "as reported".
Statista This link opens in a new window
Provides market share data, by region, by company.
Sources of information include market research, trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases.

Databases below provide financial information--balance sheets, cash flow, and ratios.

Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive financial information for 28,000 public Canadian, U.S., and International companies. Financial data can be customized, and downloaded to Microsoft Excel.
Includes 30 years of historical stock prices, SEC filings, financials for 15 years "as reported".
NetAdvantage This link opens in a new window
Extensive financial information and and analysis on more than 10,000 public companies. Basic data for 85,000 private companies.

A 10-K provides information such as company history, organizational structure, executive compensation, equity, subsidiaries, and audited financial statements.

EDGAR
Full-text SEC filings.

Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Enter your company name, choose a wide date range, choose file type: 10K.
Includes 30 years of historical stock prices, SEC filings, financials for 15 years "as reported".