Company Research Resource Guide
Considering the following questions before you start your research will help ease some of the frustration that comes with company research. The most important thing to remember is be flexible! If your search doesn't work the first time, try another strategy, and don't be afraid to ask for help.
What is the complete, official name of the company?
Companies are often known by a popular name or a brand name that is actually not their official name. You also need to watch out for name changes and mergers and acquisitions. Punctuation can even be an issue. If you are unsure of the complete, official name of the company, try the following tips:
- Try the stock ticker for the company--if you know it.
- Try a quick Web search with the information you have. Often, you will find the company's Web site or a page where the official name and/or stock ticker will be listed.
- Start with Business & Company Resource Center VCU. This database tends to be forgiving if you don't know the exact name of the company. Then, you can use the official name or stock ticker listed to search other resources.
Is the company a subsidiary?
A company may be a subsidiary of, wholly or partially owned by, a parent company. If so, you may only find information on the parent company. Some of the tips listed above may help you answer this question. For example, try a Web search or Business & Company Resource Center VCU using the name of the subsidiary to find a reference to the parent company. You can also check a source like The Directory of Corporate Affiliations (Cabell Library Reference HG4057.A217).Is the company publicly-held?
Publicly-held companies sell stock to the public and are therefore subject to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations. These regulations ensure that a wealth of information is available, but no such regulations exist for privately-held companies. Therefore, most resources do not cover private companies although some may include limited information. See private company research for a list of selected resources.Is the company a U.S. company?
Unless a foreign-owned company is traded on a U.S. stock exchange, it may be difficult to obtain more than limited information. See international company research for a list of selected resources.Don't understand all of the financial jargon? What is an alpha or beta, anyway?
For some basic definitions, see the Yahoo! Financial Glossary at http://biz.yahoo.com/f/g/bb.html or the Dictionary of Business Terms (netLibrary VCU). You can also find several related dictionaries in Oxford Reference Online VCU including the Dictionary of Accounting, Dictionary of Business and Management, Dictionary of Finance and Banking, and Handbook of International Financial Terms.
As mentioned above, it may be necessary to consult a source like a company directory just to start searching. In addition to stock ticker information, the following sources contain basic information including company profiles, directory information, company histories, rankings, executives and directors, and basic financial information. In most cases, additional research will be necessary, but the following sources are all excellent starting places.
Business & Company Resource Center
Company profiles, histories, business rankings, market share, associations, market research, and brand information. Also contains articles from magazines, journals, and newsletters, as well as some financial, litigation, and industry information.Hoover's Online
Some free content covering basic company information. More information is available in Hoover's Handbook of American Business (Cabell Library Reference HG4057.A28617) including a brief history, executives, locations, products, competitors, and historical financials. Some Hoover's information is also available in LexisNexis Academic (use the Company Dossier search under Business).Million Dollar Directory (Dun & Bradstreet)
Cabell Library Reference HC102 .D8
The top 160,000 public and private business listings within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Includes basic information such as address, phone number, key executives, sales volume, and number if employees. The library also owns other Dun & Bradstreet publications such as Business Rankings (Cabell Library Reference HG4501.D85).Yahoo! Finance
Starting place for basic company information, stock quotes, news, and more.
The Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 require public companies to submit a variety of forms including the Annual Report to Stockholders (ARS) and 10-K Report. When searching for either an ARS or 10-K report, you might want to start with the company's Web site. You can typically find SEC filings including the 10-K report, as well their ARS and press releases. You may even be able to order a print copy of the ARS. A quick Web search with Google or another search engine will usually suffice, but you may also find the URL for the company's Web site in some of the resources listed in this guide.
Several other sources contain the ARS and 10-K reports. In addition to those listed below, there are several historical Microfilm collections including Annual Reports of Major American Companies (Microfilm 1666) and Disclosure. Both are located on the 3rd floor of Cabell Library.
EDGAR (SEC filings & forms)
Access to the financial documents public companies must file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) including proxy
statements and 10-K reports.
LexisNexis
Academic 
Business, industry, and market news from thousands of publications. Contains company information including financial reports, stock reports, company profiles, and SEC filings and reports. Also covers
current events and legal research. Search tip: To access business information, click on the Business link from the red navigation bar near the top of the screen.
Mergent Online (formerly known as Moody's)
Company information including company financials, EDGAR filings, and annual reports. Includes 15 years of data and allows you to create reports
based on a number of financial criteria.
As mentioned in the previous section, annual reports contain financial information such as balance sheets and income statements. Many of the following sources also include key financial ratios providing a standard for comparison between companies.
Factiva
Company information including a list of competitors, key ratios, balance sheets, cash flow, and income statements, as well as news from over 9,000 publications including the Wall Street Journal.
Mergent Online (formerly known as Moody's)
Company information including company financials, EDGAR filings, and annual reports. Includes 15 years of data and allows you to create reports based on a number of financial criteria.
Many of the previous sources provide some indication of the health of companies for investment purposes, but the following sources specifically deal with stock performance. In addition to the library resources listed below, you may want to review the information available at free sites such as Yahoo! or Excite.
For historical stock quotes, see the Daily Stock Price Index (check the catalog for location) or a newspaper that includes stock quotes like the Wall Street Journal.
Factiva
Company information including a list of competitors, key ratios, balance sheets, cash flow, and income statements, as well as news from over 9,000 publications including the Wall Street Journal.
LexisNexis Academic
Business, industry, and market news from thousands of publications. Also contains reports from Vickers, Zacks, Investext, and Nelson's. Search tip: To access business information, click on the Business link from the red navigation bar near the top of the screen.
Mergent Bondviewer VCU
Provides access to bond data including both issuer and bond level terms and condition data, US taxable bonds, municipal bonds and retail notes.
Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage
Company information including a basic overview, stock quotes and charts, key financial statistics, competitors, stock and bond reports, corporate records, and industry surveys.
Value Line Investment Survey
Stock reports (encapsulating the company's past performance, current status, and outlook) and industry reviews. Includes ratings such as safety, timeliness, and betas. You can ask for the current editions at the reference desk. For older editions, see the microform collection (Microfilm Film 1324 and Microfiche Fiche 22.2).
In most cases, it will be necessary to enhance your research with a search for articles and press releases in a library database. Databases listed in the previous sections of the guide are updated periodically, but it still may be necessary to update the data or information. For example, a new CEO may have been named or an error in accounting may have been uncovered. You may also find information that was not available in the standard sources. The following databases contain a variety of newspapers, journals, press release services, and trade publications.
ABI/Inform
News from over 1,000 worldwide business periodicals, 750 trade and industry periodicals and newsletters, and local and regional business news publications. For company news, try the Advanced search, enter the name of the company, and select the Company/Org. field.
Factiva
Company information including a list of competitors, key ratios, balance sheets, cash flow, and income statements, as well as news from over 9,000 publications including the Wall Street Journal.
LexisNexis Academic
Business, industry, and market news from thousands of publications from around the world. Search tip: To access business information, click on the Business link from the red navigation bar near the top of the screen.
All of the resources covered so far focus on U.S. public companies, but you may find information on private companies by searching some of the resources listed above including Business and Company Resource Center , the Million Dollar Directory (Cabell Library Reference HC102 .D8), LexisNexis Academic , and Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage . Additional resources include the following:
Hoover's Handbook of Private Companies
Cabell Library Reference HG4057.A1 H65
Information for over 700 private enterprises covering the when, who, where, what, and how much, as well as an overview and a list of key competitors.
The Secretary of State
Companies are required to file with the Secretary of State of the state in which they are established. Please note that information about private companies will be limited and may not be available online, but you should find contact information.
Information for private companies is typically limited, so your research should be enhanced with a search for articles and press releases in some of the databases listed in the finding articles section.
All of the resources covered so far focus on U.S. public companies. You may find information on international companies by searching some of the resources listed above including Business and Company Resource Center and Mergent . Additional resources include the following:
Hoover's Handbook of World Business
Cabell Library Reference HG4009.H66
Profiles for 300 international enterprises including an overview, history, executives, locations, products, historical financials, and a list of key competitors.
Public filings (Annual reports, etc.)
Filings requirements in other countries can vary greatly especially when compared to the U.S., but you may still be able to find some information. For example, Canadian Securities Administration provides their public filings in English and French via their SEDAR database. Other countries may have a similar system. You can also check CAROL (requires registration) for Annual Reports in the U.S. and Europe. If are researching a foreign company that operates (and files) in the U.S., try 20-F SEC filing. See the annual reports for information about finding SEC filings.
Information for international companies is typically limited, so your research should be enhanced with a search for articles and press releases in some of the databases listed in the finding articles section.