Interested in viewing Business research from students at Fort Lewis College? Visit the STRATA archive by clicking the image below to see past work from Business students, as well as work from other majors.
| More Information Available | Less Information Available |
|---|---|
| Public | Private |
| Parent | Subsidiary |
| Large | Small |
| Established | New |
| United States | International |
It is easier to find information about public companies (those that sell stock to shareholders) than about private companies (those that are privately owned by an individual or a group). Public companies in the United States are required by law to file documents with the Securities and Exchange commission (SEC). These include the 10K (annual) and 10Q (quarterly) reports. In addition, public companies issue an annual report to shareholders.
1. Identify the company.
2. Profile the company. Information to include:
When looking for information about a company, consider both information from the company itself (such as the company website, SEC filings, or press releases) as well as information about the company written by others (newspaper articles, analyst reports, scholarly articles).
3. Survey the industry and competition.
These databases provide company profiles, including private and international companies.
Search for news, magazine and other articles for information. This may be the best way to find information on private companies.
In addition to the Mergent database, find information about international companies here.
International Directory of Company Histories