Information about Public Companies
The following USC databases can be used to find a company's financial information, such as balance sheets, cash flow statements, and financial ratios. For more, explore the Finance & Investment Research guide.
Note that a company's website and their annual report (10K) should be your first stop for company information. Company websites often provide important company news, investor information (Search company website for "Investor Relations"), and even industry reports. Particularly important for company research is identifying the company's brands and subsidiaries.
To understand a company and its competition, you need to understand the industry of which it is a part, even if you are looking for information about a niche industry.
Finding information about an industry includes the following steps:
- Get an overview of the industry
- Look for articles on trends and see if you can find forecasts
- Find financial norms and estimates if you need them
- Gather statistics from government agencies and trade associations
- Contact trade associations for additional information about the industry
Problems
Small industries are often reported as part of larger industries in government data and other information sourcesQuality, availability and cost of association information varies widely. Some of it is only available to members or for a fee
- Capital IQ This link opens in a new windowUsed for analysis of public companies, investable industries, and financial markets. Contains financial news, market insights, company performance and industry data. Use the screener to search its large database for companies, equities, business developments, people, and other criteria. Instructions: If you are accessing remotely, you must download and use the VPN. If you are on campus, you must use Secure Wireless, not Guest. Once on the main page, register with your USC email under 'New User' at upper right.
To download the Excel plug-in, go to My Capital IQ/Downloads. This allows you to build and manipulate financial models and spreadsheets by accessing company financials, estimates, market data, transactions, ownership, and fixed income data, directly within Excel.
- Business Insights Global This link opens in a new windowBusiness Insights: Global is a source for international business intelligence offering the most comprehensive and convenient way to find case studies, in-depth statistical data coupled with deep research, and the ability to compare global economies, countries and industries. Also known as Gale Business Insights.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowProvides data about companies, including financials, exeutives, reports, filings, news, and comparisons with competitors. Build your own report to find exactly the data you need.
- Orbis This link opens in a new windowUS and international company information from Bureau van Dijk including Datamonitor market research and company reports (same content as Mint Global with a different interface).
- Nexis Uni (formerly LEXIS/NEXIS Academic) This link opens in a new windowDatabase of full text online news, legal cases, and company information from 1980 to present. Includes Nexis Dossier and Total Patent One.
- Data Axle Reference Solutions (formerly ReferenceUSA) This link opens in a new windowProvides in-depth information on public and private US businesses. Especially useful for finding lists of smaller or regional companies.
- SEC EDGARSearch EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system) by company name, ticker symbol, or CIK to find company SEC filings. Also offers full-text searching of filings from 2000 to present.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowStatista is one of the first statistic portals in the world to integrate data on over 80.000 topics from over 18.000 sources onto a single professional platform and providing companies, business customers, research institutions, and the academic community with direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets.
- Yahoo FinanceOffers a useful screener, company profiles including key executives (pay and age), Sustainalytics ESG ratings for select companies, and some company news.
- Nexis Uni (formerly LEXIS/NEXIS Academic) This link opens in a new windowDatabase of full text online news, legal cases, and company information from 1980 to present. Includes Nexis Dossier and Total Patent One.
Information about Private Companies
When looking for information about a company, consider both information from the company itself (Annual Report) as well as information about the company written by others (Explore the Articles and News tab). For private companies, literature searches, company blogs, and interviews may be some of the best and only resources for locating information.
- PrivCo This link opens in a new windowA key source for business and financial research on private, non-publicly traded companies, including family-owned, private equity-owned, venture-backed and internationally unlisted organizations. Users must create an account (USC e-mail address) to login.
- Mergent IntellectDetailed information on over 280 million public and private companies, including subsidiaries, executives, and corporate family tree; and consumer data for more than 98% of US households - contacts, demographics and census data. Also access First Research reports and key business ratios.
Information on private companies can be sparse. Private companies are not required to file any financial data in the U.S., with the exception of registration data filed with the Secretary of State, in the state where they are registered. Databases like Mergent Intellect, Data Axle, Orbis and PrivCo have some basic data on U.S. private companies. Often 'local press' have more stories on locally based companies than national newspapers.
- Secretaries of State LinksLists and links for Secretaries of State and business look-up links.