LibGuides: Business: Company Research

Start your search with the company’s website. Drill down for financial information. Company sites are often sources of news about the company, leadership, trends, new initiatives, sustainability, diversity practices, and more.

Simmons Databases

D&B Hoovers - D&B Hoovers is a major source of information on millions of companies. offers insights on important industries, and contacts. D&B functionality to help you quickly analyze and understand companies at a granular level. It contains information from more than 25,000 data sources, including market research, analyst reports, regulatory filings, news releases and much more.
Gale eBooks - (Formally Gale Virtual Reference Library) is a searchable online general reference collection. You can search across all the reference books or select a subject area. It includes titles in the arts, biography, business, education, the environment, history, information and publishing, law, literature, medicine, multicultural studies, religion, science and the social sciences.
Business Source Premier - A comprehensive database that includes scholarly journals and business periodicals covering topics such as management, economics, finance, accounting, international business and more.

Business News Sources

Google Finance - Provides company and industry financial information, headlines, and other analysis
Yahoo Finance - Provides company and industry financial information, headlines, and stock tickers
The Street - The Street is a financial news website that provides daily updates
WSJ Market Data Center - Contains 30 of the most popular tables from the Wall Street Journal including :stocks, bonds, commodities & futures, and currencies. For many of the tables there is an archive of past editions.
Wall Street Journal - Access provided through the Boston Public Library for MA residents
Business Source Premier Database - A comprehensive database that includes scholarly journals and business periodicals covering topics such as management, economics, finance, accounting, international business and more.

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Where to Search

National Association of Secretaries of State - State-by-state filings of corporations

Library of Congress Business Collection - Large archive of information on American companies

US Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR Database - Large, comprehensive database of company financial filings

Tips for EDGAR

- 10K (annual reports; 10KSB for Small Business Public Companies): This is the financial statement most people are looking for and is an annual filing. Pay particular attention to Item 1, the business description, Item 7, the Management Discussion and Analysis, and the Financial Footnotes. The annual report to shareholders is a separate document but can be "incorporated by reference" into the 10K in some cases.

- 10Q: This is a quarterly report that is primarily used as an update on the financial information though it can contain other information that is new/important.

- S-1: This filing is the registration statement when a private company goes public often seen as IPO.

- 8K: These filings can vary but can be where announcements of mergers, acquisitions, and other material changes can be made.

Questions to Ask Before You Start Company Research

What is the complete, official name of the company? Are there possible variations in the name? Do you have the correct spelling? Many companies are known by a popular name or a trade name which is different from their official name. Most resources will list companies only by their official name. Be aware of companies which are named after an individual. First names (e.g. Walt Disney Company) or initials may be part of the official name. Furthermore, a resource may either include or ignore first names and initials when entering and alphabetizing, and some resources are inconsistent. Also, initials can be alphabetized in different manners. Be prepared with spelling variations, even when you feel you are certain of the spelling.
Is it a publicly-held or privately-held company? A publicly-held company is one that openly sells stock to the public on a stock exchange. Those who purchase the stock have an ownership interest in the company. Because of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, a wealth of information is available for public companies. This same level of detail of information does not exist for private companies. Many resources will only include public companies.
Is it a relatively large or well-known company? Certain resources have size restrictions as to which companies are included. Thus, the larger the company, the more likely it is to appear. The more well-known the company, the easier it will be to find information on the company.
Is it a subsidiary? If so, what is the name of the parent company? In some cases, published information may be available only on the parent company.
Would a company want its competitors to know this information? Depending on the type of information you are looking for, keep in mind that the company may not make the information available due to fear of competition, and some answers may cross into the realm of proprietary information or trade secrets.
Have there been recent and/or noteworthy activities involving the company that would have been covered in newspapers, periodicals, or online news sources? If so, be sure to check business news sources. You'll get information on recent activities, and you may also find that the articles provide good background information on the company.
What level of detail is needed? Databases that provide excellent details on a company's finances may not be the quickest source for merely finding a phone number and address or even a brief profile.