LibGuides: Business & Management: Public Companies

Is it a Public or Private Business?

Yahoo! Finance
Type the name of your business in the Yahoo! Finance search bar. Public businesses will appear with its NYSE/NASDAQ stock symbol, while private business will either be listed as PRIVATE or the search will return no result.

A public business is owned by shareholders and its shares are traded on the stock market, while a private business is owned by individuals or a small group of investors and is not publicly traded. Public businesses are required to file quarterly reports known as 10-Q reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), providing detailed financial information, operational updates, and management discussions about their performance and prospects.

Premium Data Sources

Data Axle and Mergent are two premium databases which aggregate data (including financials, competitor data, directories and profiles, etc.) for public companies.

Data Axle Reference Solutions This link opens in a new window Formerly ReferenceUSA. Reliable information on millions of U.S. businesses. Excellent resource for marketing research, competitive analysis, fundraising and job searches.
Mergent Online This link opens in a new window Access to risk ratings, credit information, company financials, descriptions, history, property, subsidiaries and company leadership.

You can also find some directory and company profile information using the GoinGlobal database. (This database is especially helpful for job applicants.)

GoinGlobal This link opens in a new window Includes information related to career & employment resources at home and abroad. Features Country Guides, (major) City Guides, company profiles, internships & job postings. We recommend opening a personal account in the database.

Governmental Resources

Common SEC Filings

When searching for information in EDGAR (or Yahoo! Finance) you will notice the following common SEC filings. (Click on the form name for more info from the SEC.)

Filing	Purpose
8-K	Form 8-K is used for the prompt disclosure of specific events or material information that occurs between the filing of quarterly or annual reports, ensuring timely communication with investors.
10-Q	Form 10-Q is filed quarterly and offers unaudited financial statements and a condensed version of the information found in the annual 10-K, providing regular updates on a company's financial performance.
10-K	Form 10-K is an annual report providing a comprehensive overview of a publicly traded company's financial performance, business operations, and overall financial health.

Case Studies and SWOT Analyses

Be sure to take a look at our Academic Database subscriptions in the Database and Articles section for details on how to locate Case Studies and SWOT Analyses.