BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTER

COMPANIES RESEARCH GUIDE

This research guide focuses on resources for locating information on public, private, and non-profit companies. Industry information can be located using the resources provided in the Industries Research Guide. Additional company information can be found in the Company Information section of the International Business Research Guide. For additional information, Ask a BIC Librarian.

GENERAL COMPANY INFORMATION

Business and Company Resource Center This database provides general company information including ticker symbol (if public), profiles, articles, histories, investment reports, financials, and rankings. Click on the 'Company' icon to search for company information. (SMU Community Only)

Business Source Complete Click on the 'Company Profiles' link to access company reports from Datamonitor and Life Science Analytics. (SMU Community Only)

Company Information at Yahoo! Find company profiles from Capital IQ. Enter company name or keywords in the search box, or browse through companies using the A-Z list.

Company Web sites Navigate to a company Web site to search for mission statements, diversity commitments, recent news releases, locations of operations, etc. Often links such as 'Investor Relations' and 'About Us' can provide useful company information. Be aware that all information is from the company’s point of view.

Factiva Click on 'Companies/Markets' across the top of the screen and then click on 'Company' to search for company profiles. (Cox School of Business IP addresses only)

Hoover's Online This database provides access to information such as company profiles, general financial information, industry overviews, and stock quotes. Enter company name, ticker symbol, or keywords in the 'Companies' search box. (SMU Community Only)

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ADVANCED COMPANY RESEARCH

Board Analyst Database providing information covering corporate governance and the relationship between company management, boards and shareholders. Search using ticker symbol or company name in the 'Quick Links' search box in the upper left corner of the page. (SMU Community Only/SMU IP addresses only for LeaderBoard tool use)

Fuld & Company Internet Intelligence Index Use this index to find free resources for conducting competitive intelligence research.

LexisNexis Academic Company information such as corporate hierarchy and financials can be found by performing a 'Business' search. Click on the 'Business' tab across the top of the page to get started. (SMU Community Only)

Mergent Company Archives Manual (Fondren Library) This manual contains restored extensive business descriptions, histories and financial analysis – timely to the date each company ceased to exist under that name.  Each company report begins with a description of the fate of the corporation.
View SMU Library Catalog record.

Mergent Industry Review (Fondren Library) This comprehensive statistical reference offers comparative figures and rankings on companies and industry groups.
View SMU Library Catalog record.

Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage Click on the 'Companies' tab across the top of the screen to access a variety of company information options. Ability to search using either company name or ticker symbol. (SMU Community Only)

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ANNUAL REPORTS

Annual reports (Form 10-K) can be found in a number of BIC databases, such as Hoover's Online, Business and Company Resource Center, and Thomson ONE Banker, as well as through the resources listed below.

Annual Report Gallery Electronic access to annual reports for a variety of companies.

The Annual Report Library Contains tips for reading annual reports for public and not-for-profit companies. Links to several sites that provide annual reports.

Historical Annual Reports This database provides access to annual reports for over 800 U.S. companies dating back as far as 1844. Select 'Company/Org' from the dropdown menu to search by company name. (SMU Community Only)

IRIN Annual Report Resource Center Includes varying years of historical annual reports.

Wall Street Journal Online Annual Reports Locate annual reports organized by industry.

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ANALYST REPORTS

Bloomberg Analyst reports from a variety of sources can be found by searching for: {ticker symbol} <EQUITY> CN and selecting Analyst Research from the Source dropdown menu. Full text reports will have a paperclip icon next to the title. (Restricted Resource - A valid SMU ID is required for access)

Business and Company Resource Center Company investment reports can be found by clicking on the 'Investment Reports' tab from an individual company profile page. (SMU Community Only)

Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage Textual analysis is provided in the 'Stock Reports' section for individual companies (available by clicking the 'Companies' tab across the top of the screen, searching for a specific 'Company Profile' and clicking on 'Stock Reports' in the left-side navigation). (SMU Community Only)

Value Line Investment Survey (BIC) This print resource provides company and industry reports which provide an analysis of companies and associated industries. 'Ratings & Reports' and 'Selection & Opinion' available.
View SMU Library Catalog record (Ratings & Reports).
View SMU Library Catalog record (Selection & Opinion).

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PRIVATE COMPANY INFORMATION

Locating private company information may be a challenge, as private companies are often not required to file and/or share company information; however, private companies occasionally may be required to file forms with the SEC, such as a Form D. If a public company is involved with a private company, there may be information on the private company in the public company's filings. Information on how to locate annual reports and other SEC filings can be found in the Annual Reports section of this guide.

Performing an article search for a specific private company, especially in a relevant regional or local business publication, is another method of locating private company information. See the News and Article Resources section of this guide for recommended resources.

Hoover's Online Search for private companies by name using the 'Companies' search. Use the 'Build a List' feature (click on the 'Build a List' button from the Hoover's Online home page) to generate a list of private companies that meet specific criteria. (SMU Community Only)

LexisNexis Academic Private company information can be found by performing a 'Business' search. Click on the 'Business' tab across the top of the page to get started. (SMU Community Only)

LexisNexis Corporate Affiliations (Fondren Library) This directory provides corporate hierarchical information on major U.S. and international public and private businesses.
View SMU Library Catalog record.

Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage Click on the 'Companies' tab across the top of the screen and choose 'Register Private Co.' from the Advanced Search dropdown menu to search for private company information. (SMU Community Only)

Ward’s Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies (Fondren Library) This directory provides contact and other general information on U.S. private and public companies.
View SMU Library Catalog record.

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NEWS AND ARTICLE RESOURCES

ABI/INFORM Database providing company information such as news, analysis, and information on local markets gathered from a variety of business publications. Use the advanced search feature to search by company name by choosing 'Company/Org' from the dropdown menu. (SMU Community Only)

BizJournals Search business articles featured in regional business publications. Registration required.

Business Source Complete Use this database to find articles from major national publications, trade journals, and regional sources covering topics such as management, economics, finance, accounting, international business and more. Advanced search feature allows searching by company name or ticker symbol (choose 'Company Entity' or 'Ticker Symbol' from the dropdown menu). (SMU Community Only)

Custom Newspapers Search various city and regional newspapers using the “Browse” feature. A good resource for searching the local market to find information on small and/or private companies. (SMU Community Only)

Factiva Database providing company information from national and international newspapers, Dow Jones & Reuters newswires, business journals, market research reports, analyst reports and Web sites from around the world. Click on 'Companies/Markets' across the top of the screen and then click on 'Company' to search for company profiles, which include links to news about the company. News articles can also be found by clicking on 'Search' across the top of the screen, entering relevant search terms in the search box, narrowing the search using the search options provided, and clicking the search button. (Cox School of Business IP addresses only)

Newspaper Source Access to nearly 30 national (U.S.) and international newspapers and over 200 regional (U.S.) newspapers. Focus your search by using the options provided in the dropdown menu and browse publications by clicking on the 'Publications' link. (SMU Community Only)

Regional Business News Database providing coverage for U.S. regional business publications. Access to 75 business publications representing both metropolitan and rural areas. Focus your search by using the options provided in the dropdown menu and browse publications by clicking on the 'Publications' link. (SMU Community Only)

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NON-PROFIT RESOURCES

BoardSource: Knowledge Center BoardSource's Knowledge Center provides access to a variety of information dealing with nonprofit governance. Access to resources such as ebooks, frequently asked questions, research reports, white papers, a board glossary, etc. is available, with some content accessible only to BoardSource members.

Charity Navigator The Navigator is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing data for intelligent giving.

The Foundation Center The Form 990 Tax Returns Finder provides a tool to locate data about charitable organizations.

Give.org Give.org evaluates national charities against a standard for performance and accountability.

GuideStar GuideStar provides data about non-profit organizations. Basic searching is free with more advanced search capabilities provided by subscription.

National Center for Charitable Statistics The NCCS publishes printed reference materials as well as providing data online. One notable product is the "National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities" which has been cross-walked to NAICS codes which should be a useful tool for students studying non-profits.

Ministry Watch A free online database with profiles on hundreds of ministries in the United States. Information is restricted to Christian organizations and provides insight into accountability and efficiency.

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Last Updated: 11/9/2008