USC Databases for Mergers & Acquistions
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowUse Mergent Online get Company and Competitor data. Use the 'Competitors' tab find 'comps' competitors. Under Company Financials' download 'All Sections' for full financial information.
- Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) This link opens in a new windowCollection of databases designed for quantitative analysis of financial data: Compustat Global & EMDB; Fama French Momentum and Liquidity; Audit Analytics; EVENTUS; Blockholders; CUSIP Master File; Federal Reserve Bank Reports; Bureau van Dijk; DMEF - Direct Marketing Educational Foundation; FDIC; Bank Regulatory; CBOE Indexes; Execcomp; CRSP - Center for Research in Security Prices; Compustat North America; Dow Jones; Mutual Funds Links (MFLINKS); Thomson Reuters; TRACE; NYSE TAQ; PHLX; SEC Disclosure of Order Execution; I/B/E/S International; IRI - Information Resources Inc.; Penn World Tables.
- Zephyr This link opens in a new windowEasy to use database containing international merger & acquisition (M&A), initial pubic offering (IPO) and venture capital (VC) data with links to company information. Zehphyr contains news and M&A reports by region and for Cleantech, & Private Equity,
- Capital IQCapital IQ (accounts available to anyone with a current USC user ID and Password)
You MUST login to the USC VPN before you can register and/or use Capital IQ.
If you have never had a Capital IQ account: To request a new account: log on to www.capitaliq.com, press New User at the upper right and register. You will need to use your USC e-mail account ending in .edu Your account is between you and Capital IQ, if you forget your login credentials, you will need to go through Capital IQ (see link above).
Capital IQ Plug-in: Once you have logged into Capital IQ, you can download the Plug-in (API), just hover over MyCapital IQ (red tab on the left), and press downloads. You can download all or make your own selections.
If you had a Capital IQ account via MyMarshall, and it has expired, we can extend your account until you graduate. Unfortunately, the plug-in is not available. Please contact Bree Russell, barussel@usc.edu or Helga Haraldsson, haraldss@usc.edu and we will get your account extended.
- PrivCo This link opens in a new windowPrivCo is the premiere source for business and financial research on non-publicly traded corporations, including family-owned, private equity-owned, venture-backed and international unlisted companies. You must create an account (USC e-mail address) to login.
PitchBook
Search for recent information and data on venture capital and private equity deals, funds, debt , service provider’s investors/buyers P/E and VC activities; company valuation and other company information. This database is read-only (no downloads). Pitchbook is limited to Marshall students, faculty and staff and must have a MyMarshall account. For account instructions, please login to MyMarshall, and click the link for PitchBook.
Refinitiv (previously known as Thomson One)
Refinitiv Workspace provides financial data, news, analytics and productivity tools, as well as investment research from most major brokers and investment banks. Refinitiv is limited to Marshall students, faculty and staff and must have a MyMarshall account.
USC Databases for article searches
Search article databases for information/news on M&A activity. Use Thesaurus tools to look up terms (Mergers & Acquisitions), or search for companies with terms like Merged, Merger, acquired, and subject as M&A (use Thesaurus if possible).
- EBSCO Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowTo Search Mergers & Acquisitions journals: Enter part of the journal name in the in search box; Change the 'Select a Field' to SO - Source.
- Factiva This link opens in a new windowUse to find up-to-date information about companies and industries. Includes articles from newspapers and trade magazines, press releases, blogs, and business forecasters.
- LexisNexis Academic (Nexis Uni) This link opens in a new windowDatabase of full text online news, legal cases, and company information from 1980 to present.
- ProQuest Business This link opens in a new windowProQuest Business provides full text access to articles, reports and other resources in nine databases including ABI/Inform, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Business Dissertations, Historical Annual Reports and more. An excellent starting point for business research.
Financial Databases at USC
This is a list of the key business databases at USC. Another list with the WRDS datasets broken out can be found here.
- EStatement Studies This link opens in a new windowThe online version of the Annual Statement Studies, produced by the Risk Management Association (RMA), includes financial ratios on over 760 industries, industry default probabilities and cash flow measures
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowUS and international company data, annual reports, and financial data.
- 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).
- OSIRIS This link opens in a new windowWeb version of publicly listed company information from Bureau van Dijk
- PrivCo This link opens in a new windowPrivCo is the premiere source for business and financial research on non-publicly traded corporations, including family-owned, private equity-owned, venture-backed and international unlisted companies. You must create an account (USC e-mail address) to login.
- SDC GuideA step-by-step M&A Guide for SDC.
- SEC EDGAR This link opens in a new windowThis is the public website for company filings with US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) such as 10Ks and 10Q's, 8K's , Schedule 13Ds, tender offers, various Registration Statements and other documentation.
- Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) This link opens in a new windowCollection of databases designed for standardized quantitative analysis. Available datasets include Audit Analytics, Bank Regulatory, Blockholders, Bureau van Dijk & BvD Trial, CBOE Indexes, COMPUSTAT, CRSP, CUSIP, Corporate Library, DMEF Academic Data, Dow Jones, EVENTUS, FDIC, Fama French & Liquidity Factors, Federal Reserve Bank, First Call, GSIOnline, IBES IRI, MFLINKS, PHLX, Penn World Tables, SEC Order Execution, TAQ and Thomson Reuters.
- Zephyr This link opens in a new windowInternational M&A, IPO and venture capital deals with links to company information from Bureau van Dijk.
- LIMITED ACCESS DATABASESSee Library staff for information on access
- Capital IQ This link opens in a new windowThe research division of S&P Global, one of the world's largest providers of ratings, data, research, and the S&P Dow Jones Indices. Cap IQ provides detailed research and analysis of the stock market to a variety of investing stakeholders. Register with your USC email under 'New User' at upper right. To download the Excel plug-in, go to My Capital IQ/Downloads. Login to the USC VPN before accessing.
Books & eBooks
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Other Restructuring Activities by Call Number: EBOOKPublication Date: 2017
Valuation for M&A: building and measuring private company value by Call Number: EBOOKPublication Date: 2018
Synergy Value and Strategic Management: inside the black box of mergers and acquisitions by Call Number: EBOOKPublication Date: 2016
Winning at the Acquisition Game: tools, templates and best practices across the M&A process by Call Number: EBOOKPublication Date: 2020
M&A Journals
- The Deal PipelineLink via LexisNexis Academic
- New York Times - DealBookPublic site
- Mergers and Acquistions, The Dealmaker's JournalLink via LexisNexis Academic
- Mergers & Acquisitions BusinessLink via LexisNexis Academic
- Mergers & Acquistions WeekLink via ProQuest
- Bloomberg - Deal of the WeekPodcasts from Bloomberg M&A reporter Alex Sherman
- Finance Monthly - Mergers & AcquisitionsPublic site
Introduction to Mergers & Acquistions
- Thomson Research - Guide to SEC FilingsThis site provides brief descriptions for reports/filings that are available through the Securities Exchange Commission, and several databases at USC.
- Using EDGAR to Research InvestmentsThis is the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) site for all public company filings. For relevant instructions on how to search sections on M&A, scroll down to: Section G: Business Combinations and/or to Section H: - Initial Public Offerings (IPOs); EDGAR for M&A activities.
- Mergers & AcquisitionsA 2020 Corporate Governance guide from PWC
- Global Privater M&A GuideA 2020 guide from Baker McKenzie with individual country profiles
Primers
- UBS Warburg: Valuations MultiplesUBS Warburg: Valuation Multiples: A Primer in Global Equity Research - November 2001
- Note on Valuation & Mechanics of LBOUniversity of Oxford Said Business School teaching note
Publically available Primers and Guides
Capital IQ "How-to" Guides
Step-by-step on how to search SDC for M&A deals. Includes instruction for on and off campus.
- Capital IQ M&A Transaction Screening GuideStep by step instructions on using the Screening function to create a list of M&A transaction - defined by your own criteria.
Bloomberg
Bloomberg terminals are located in the Gaughan & Tiberti Business LIbrary (JFF 101) and Popovich Computer Lab (JKP 201). See our Bloomberg Research Guide for additional information.
SDC M&A Guide
- SDC Platinum M&A GuideStep-by-step guide on how to use SDC to search and create a report on M&A transactions.
Includes instruction for on- and off-campus access.
League Tables
League Tables are periodic rankings of M&A activity, including the largest deals and firms that are involved in these deals.
League Tables are available in SDC Platinum and Zephyr databases.
Reports on Mergers & Acquistions
- Deloitte - Mergers & AcquisitionsLists latest insights and reports M&A trends see 'featured insights'
- ET Intelligence GroupLists free reports and current news on M&A activity
- Global M&A Trends ReportA 2021 report from Lex Mundi
- Hyde Park Capital - TransactionsQuarterly reports covering a number of different industries and geographies. Click on 'Mergers & Acquisitions' in the left-hand menu for specific deals.
- Knowledge @Wharton - Finance & AccountingSearch 'M&A' or "mergers" for the most recent reports/surveys on mergers and acquistions.
- M&A Report, 2022Published annually by WilmerHale
- M&A Report, 2022Series of reports on M&A activity in countries around the world,
- PWC - Deals / Mergers & Acquistions Industry TrendsReports and insights on M&A activity globally.