Get Started with Company Research
What is the complete, official name of the company? Keep in mind that a company's common name (for example, McDonald's) may not be its official name (McDonald's Corporation). When possible, use the company's complete official name as your search term.
Is the company a subsidiary? A company is a subsidiary when it is partially or wholly owned by another company. A common example is Google and YouTube, which are subsidiaries of Alphabet, Inc. In some cases, company information for a subsidiary will be published or indexed under its parent company.
Is the company public or privately held? Publicly held companies in the United States are subject to regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and a great deal of information is available on both the open web and in subscription databases. Privately-held companies do not typically provide the same level of detail to the public
Web Resources for Company Research
Company Websites
Company websites provide a range of information that can be useful in understanding their products, services, and priorities. It is important to remember that most website information is subjective and intended for marketing, however, publicly traded companies will often include annual reports and required disclosures on their investor relations webpages. A simple Google search for the company name + "investor relations" can help you locate these resources on a company website.
Examples:
SEC Filings
Public companies in the US are required to file annual, quarterly, and current reports based on SEC regulations. Annual and quarterly reports include financial information for the period covered by the report. Item 1 of annual reports includes risk factors that inform overall macroenvironment analyses.
| Form Type | Description |
|---|---|
| 10-K | This is a company's annual report. It provides audited annual financial statements, a discussion of material risk factors for the company and its business, and a management’s discussion and analysis of the company’s results of operations for the prior fiscal year. |
| 10-Q | These are quarterly reports. A 10-Q includes unaudited quarterly financial statements, updates regarding material risks that the company faces, and management’s discussion and analysis of the company’s results of operations for the prior fiscal quarter. |
| 8-K | Current reports which disclose material events or information that the company chooses or is required to make public prior to its next scheduled quarterly or annual report. |
- EDGAR Company FilingsEDGAR indexes all required SEC filings of publicly traded companies. Search by company name.
- How to Read a 10-KA guide to understanding the kinds of information available in companies' 10-K reports
Subscription Databases for Company Research
FIND COMPANY RESEARCH RESOURCES AT YOUR INSTITUTION
- NetAdvantage This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive source of public company information. Search by company name or ticker symbol. Includes stock, bond, mutual fund, earnings, and dividends reports. - Mergent Market Atlas This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive profiles for publicly traded companies including financial data, sustainability and ESG information, SEC and annual filings, and analyst reports.
