Company Research

There are numerous library databases that provide profiles on specific companies. Below are some suggestions for databases to explore.

For specific suggestions for researching private companies, view the "researching private companies" page of this guide. 

A good research starting point is the D&B Hoovers database. It covers almost 1 million public and private companies across the globe.

Here is the type of information you will find:

Core Information

• Company Summary – company history, location, sales, and products
• Contacts –top executives in the company
• Contact Decision Matrix – top HR employees
• Corporate Family – hierarchical list of subsidiaries, affiliates and ultimate parent
• News – 2 years of major news stories from the local, national and international press
• Triggers – major articles on management changes, earnings, M&A activity, etc.

Advanced Information

• Competitors – competing companies listed in alphabetical order
• SEC Filings – 10-K, 10-Q, 8K, 20F (if company is public)
• Technologies in Use – software and hardware used at the company
• Industry Snapshot – “What’s Affecting the Market?”, “R & D”, “Talking Points”, “Questions Being Asked”

Mergent Online: provides access to current and historical financial information on 15,000 U.S. and 20,000 foreign companies, both active and inactive. Included are firm descriptions, statistics, financial information, and annual reports. Mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, long-term debt, bond ratings, capital stock, insider trading, etc. are provided in the company records. 

Statista: Provides curated reports that include extensive statistical data on over 600 industries and many companies. The statistics and studies are gathered by market researchers, trade organizations, scientific publications, and government sources, and data is shared in a variety of easy-to-understand formats such as charts and infographics. 

Business Insights Global: Provides in-depth information on U.S. and international businesses, industries, and products. Resources include  competitive intelligence, market share information and product trends, market-industry information and analysis, and country-based industry reports.