Business Librarian
Where Can I Find Financial Information for Public Companies?
The amount of financial information available will depend on whether a company is publicly traded or privately held. Case studies or projects in that examine privately-held companies like Sheetz often will lead researchers to encounter a lot of dead ends when searching.
This video summarizes the difference between these two ownership types.
- EDGAR: Company searchContent type(s): Company information compiled from data submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 10-K reports.
Dates covered: 1994 to present
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
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Content type(s): Financial and governance data from U.S. and international publicly-held companies.
Dates covered: 1993 to present - Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
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Content types: Peer-reviewed journals, industry and market research reports, magazines, news sources, SWOTS
Dates covered: 1922-present
Where Can We Find Financial Data for a Private Company?
A private company is a company that is not traded on any stock exchange. Private companies as a general rule do not have to file any documents about their financial situation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Consequently, finding information on private companies can be very challenging. JMU Libraries has a couple of resources that focus on private companies, but the completeness of the data will vary wildly for each company and those inconsistencies can be frustrating for researchers.
Often, researchers will need to rely on industry benchmarks to estimate the financial situations of privately-held companies.
- PrivCo This link opens in a new windowContent type(s): Business and financial research on non-publicly traded companies, including family-owned, private equity-owned, venture-backed, and international unlisted companies.
Note: Users will need to register for an academic account using their JMU email address - Data Axle Reference Solutions This link opens in a new windowContent types: Directory of U.S. businesses searchable by NAICS code and/or geography (City, State, Zip code) .
Dates covered: Current
There isn't one foolproof method for researching a private company. You often will need to make a decision with only a limited amount of data about a company you're investigating.
This video explains how a business librarian approaches private company research.
What Are Industry Financial Benchmarks and How Can We Use Them?
Struck out finding financial information about a competitor using Data Axle or PrivCo? Try using industry financial benchmarks, which provide a sense of the cost structure of similar businesses operating in your industry that anticipate a similar revenue level.
Image source: Storyblocks
To find industry financial benchmarks, you'll need to identify your industry. In business research, an industry refers to a group of businesses that produce and/or sell the same, or similar, goods or services (Investopedia, 2024).
The U.S. government uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to collect data about the economic output of industries.
NAICS codes are critical tool when doing business research, because they help you find financial benchmarks to forecast a business' sales, revenue, expenditures, etc.
- Using NAICS Codes for industry researchThis infographic explains how to research an industry using NAICS codes.
Recommended resources from the Libraries for Industry Financial Benchmarks and Ratios.
- BizMiner This link opens in a new windowIndustry research and data reports on more than 16,000 lines of business in national and local markets.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new windowIndustry market research reports of more than 700 United States industries; includes US Specialized Industry Reports, East Coast State Reports, and iExpert Summaries.
Where Can I Find Financial Information for Nonprofit Organizations?
Nonprofits are formal organizations in the United States that qualify for tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code. In the U.S., non-profits usually are required to disclose information about their financials.
- GuideStarContent type(s):Data and 1099 tax forms on non-profits.
Dates covered: Last 3-5 years
NOTE: Must create a free account to download - ProPublica Nonprofit ExplorerContent type(s): Tax returns and financial details from tax-exempt organizations
Dates covered:IRS data released since 2013; tax filing documents as far back as 2001. - Chronicle of PhilanthropyContent type(s:) Provides news & information for fund raisers, professional employees of foundation, corporate grant makers, & people who work for non-profit, tax exempt organizations.
Dates covered: 2000 to present
Tips for Getting the Best Info from Finance Databases
JMU Libraries has created several tutorials in Google Slides to help students use our specialized business resources.
Click on the name of the database to open the tutorial that shows how to search for data and cite the information you find in APA style.
