Public Companies
Public companies have shares available to the public. They have issued securities through an initial public offering and are traded on a stock exchange or market. Unlike private companies, public companies are required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Therefore financial statements and other company information is available for public view. Resources for company financials and stock information can be found in separate guides.
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- Top Databases
- Books, Reference & Print Resources
- Internet Resources & Websites
- Related Research Guides
- Additional Information
Top Databases
10-K WizardReal-time online access and full-text search of extensive financial information for publicly traded firms. Allows users to not only view the latest SEC filings of more than 68,000 companies, but search historical filings, from the start date of each company's existence, by keyword, phrase and name. The database provides easy searching, downloading, printing of financial data, directors and executives, insider transactions, etc. The service includes real-time SEC EDGAR filings, EDGAR archives through 1994, PRE-EDGAR Historical Index (listing) of all SEC filings to 1966, regulatory documentation and more. The mass download feature allows you to obtain up to 700 filings at once. [more]
Bloomberg
Locate real-time and historical information on economic conditions, market data and public companies worldwide. Information is available on governments, mortgages, money markets, bonds, commodities, stocks, and currencies. This resource is used in most companies and institutions that manage equities, commodities, and currencies. Two dedicated Bloomberg terminals with full API capabilities which allow for custom downloading and creation of reports are available in the Walker Management Library and Owen Computer Lab. Online tutorials are available on the terminals and Bloomberg now offers certification in different financial management areas with tests that can be taken on the Bloomberg terminals. [more]
Business Source Premier
BSP provides coverage to virtually all subject areas related to business, including management, marketing, economics, finance, accounting, and international business. In addition to covering the major scholarly business journals, BSP also covers company reports, SWOT analyses, working papers, country reports, industry reports and other searchable categories like case studies, book reviews, product reviews, speeches, and interviews. This database is the exclusive online provider of many major journals like the Harvard Business Review, but it does not contain the fulltext of the Wall Street Journal (see Factiva for WSJ). [more]
EDGAR
This is the free database of public company filings collected by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Find the full-text of company annual 10-K reports, quarterly 10-Q reports, proxy statements, prospectus, etc.. The EDGAR Archive allows you to find filings for companies from 1994-present. Filings prior to 1994 are not available in electronic format, but may be purchased by contacting the Public Reference Room at the SEC. The entire EDGAR database filings can also be searched using our LIVEDGAR database, which offers more search options and functionality. [more]
Factiva
Factiva is a multi-functional database. It is primarily used to find the full-text of business publications, including magazines, trade publications, and newspapers. It has full-text coverage of the Wall Street Journal. It is a good source for international and local business news, which typically isn't covered in other databases. Also included in this database are company profiles and financial quotes. [more]
Hoover's
Hoover's has basic information on 12 million worldwide companies and in-depth profiles of more than 40,000 public and private companies. Basic company information comes from Dun & Bradstreet. Before purchasing D&B information from this database, please check to see if it is available for free in our D&B Million Dollar Database. Each Hoover's in-depth profile may include company description, historical profile, competitors, financials, products/operations, industry information, and biographies of executives. IPO Central provides information on initial public offerings. Our license provides access to the Hoover's Pro version only, not Pro Plus or Premium. [more]
MarketLine Business Information Center
Locate detailed company, industry, and country profiles published by Datamonitor Market Research. This database includes 10,000 reports on public and private companies, both U.S. and international. Reports feature: business description, history, major products and services, locations and subsidiaries, top competitors, SWOT analysis (top 1,000 companies only). The industry profiles contain: Market overview, value, segmentation, share, and forecasts, competitive landscape, and leading companies. [more]
Mergent Online
Mergent Online (formerly FIS Online) provides access to detailed corporate financial histories (including capital changes) and operational histories for international public companies. Mergent has company financial reports (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, and retained earnings reports) dating back 15 years/quarters and includes financial ratios. Mergent also provides company overviews, joint venture information, property descriptions, subsidiaries, officers/directors, long-term debt, and capital stock. Customized reports on a company or multiple companies can be created and data can be downloaded into Excel. The database also includes newswire headlines and annual reports (most recent 15 years). The industry reports are updated regularly. A new addition to this database are country reports containing statistical data. [more]
OneSource
Use this database for in-depth details on companies and industries whose operations span the globe. It includes 80,000+ international companies and their executives as well as 350,000+ U.S. and Canadian public and private companies and their executives. Company data includes financials, subsidiaries, trade and business news, and research reports. With the Company Insights Add-On Module, export company data for further comparison and analyses. You may also search for and export contact data on more than 3M executives and managers across the globe. [more]
Reuter's Research on Demand
Reuter's Research on Demand, formerly MultexNet, provides access to research reports created by analysts from top brokerage houses, investment banks, and financial research firms. These reports cover a wide array of information including detailed analysis of market share, projected sales and earnings, current and projected financial performance, and companies' research and development expenditures. These are also a good source for current industry information and projections. It does not include reports from Merrill Lynch. [more]
S&P NetAdvantage
Standard and Poor's Net Advantage provides fulltext access to a variety of S&P publications including the electronic full text versions of the Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys. Covers 52 different industries (usually the larger industries like Retail, Apparel and Footwear, Airlines, Computers, Biotech, Pharmaceuticals, etc) and the reports are updated every 6 months. The surveys contain information about current trends, how the industry operates, key ratios and statistics for each industry, and then how to analyze a company in a particular industry. The last section provides comparative financial data in tabular format for the top companies in the industry. S&P NetAdvantage also includes Stock Reports, Corporation Records as well as detailed information on mutual funds, bonds, dividends, earnings, and a directory of corporations and executives. [more]
Socrates
SOCRATES is a comprehensive research database, measuring the social and environmental performance of corporations. The database contains social, environmental, and governance research on more than 4,000 companies in 50+ global markets. KLD evaluates over 3,000 U.S. corporations for social and environmental performance on more than 280 data points covering community relations, corporate governance, diversity, employee relations, human rights, products, and the environment. SOCRATES contains information about current and historical shareholder actions, including the exact text of proxy resolutions, compiled by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR). It is useful to monitor up-coming shareholder resolutions for companies in your portfolio; follow the responsiveness of companies over time to shareholder resolutions; and know the issues that active shareholders are pursuing You can generate lists of shareholder resolutions filed on a particular issue or with a company since 1998. [more]
Vault Online Career Library
Vault provides access to industry and career guides, including employer profiles. Also included are books and reports that offer advice on consulting case interviews, financial interviews, and career trends. Review the message boards to pose questions and find out what it's really like to work at a company or in an industry. [more]
Search for more Business Databases
Books, Reference & Print Resources
Ward's Business Directory of U.S. Private & Public Companies REF HG 4057 .A585
Key financial figures, key executives, parent company, number of employees.
Key financial figures, key executives, parent company, number of employees.
Business Journal Book of Lists
HF 5068 (in Career section)
Local Business Journals, e.g. Nashville Business Journal, publishes a yearly “Book of Lists” which includes ranking of larger private companies.
Local Business Journals, e.g. Nashville Business Journal, publishes a yearly “Book of Lists” which includes ranking of larger private companies.
Search for more books in the ACORN Catalog
Internet Resources & Websites
Company WebsitesCorporate websites often include a wealth of information including press releases, office/retail locations, company histories and key executives.
Yahoo! Finance
U.S. companies must register with the secretary of state in which they are established. Often, you can often request articles of incorporation through the state office.
Thomas Register
Database of industrial manufacturers and suppliers with their product catalogs.
Related Research Guides
- International & Multinational Companies
- Food & Beverage Industry
- Private Companies
- Careers & Occupations
- Industry Overviews
- Corporate Governance
- View all Research Guides
Additional Information
- Use of the databases implies acceptance of our Copyright and Licensing Restrictions.
- Need help accessing a resource from off-campus? Take a look at the Troubleshooting Tips page.
- Don't know where to begin? Check out the How do I begin my research? page for information on how to get started researching various topics and use citation information.
- Do you know the name of a database that you'd like to use? Use Databases (A-Z) to locate a known resource and get more information.
- The Databases by Subject page can help direct you to similar resources by topic.
- Additional databases are also available through the Jean & Alexander Heard Library.
- Want to browse electronic journals? Check out the E-Journals (A-Z).
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