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Guide to Company Information using Randall Library and Lexis-Nexis
This guide is based on print resources in Randall Library and the Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe "Help", guide to conducting research -
company information (Click Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe then click "Help", then "Conducting
Research"). The lists below consist of selected business resources found on the shelves in the Randall Library REFerence collection
and/or available online through Lexis-Nexis. For more resources go to the
Subject Research Guide - Business or ask for assistance at the REFerence Desk. Another database available for company information is Mergent
Online BR>
Lexis-Nexis outlines ten steps in a company analysis. This guide covers steps 2-6, listed here.
2. Find the company address, phone number, and ticker symbol (public company) in a directory.
3. Describe the company's primary business, products, and services.
4. Identify the company's industrial classification code (SIC).
5. Review the company's financial statements (public company), conduct a ratio analysis, examine stock performance.
6. Identify current news.
Pull down menu "Sources"
Select "U.S. Public Companies"
Includes:
Disclosure Online Database
IRRC Corporate Governance Digest institutional investors, corporations, law firms and others
Nelson's Public Company Profiles
Nelson's Research Firm Profiles investment banks, brokerage firms and independent research firms worldwide
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions
U.S. Business Directory
Pull down menu "Sources"
Select "U.S. Private Companies"
Includes:
Thomson's Bank Directory all U.S. banks and their branches
Thomson's Savings Directory all U.S. savings banks and their branches
U.S. Business Directory
Pull Down menu "Sources"
Select "International Companies"
Includes many of the above plus:
Worldscope-International Company Profiles
Print Sources
U.S. Companies
America's Corporate Families. REF HG4057 .A147
Directory of Corporate Affiliations. Ready REF HG4057 .A219
Dun & Bradstreet/Gale Group Industry Handbook. REF HF5053 .D86
Hoover's Guide to Private Companies. REF HF3010 .H66
Hoover's Handbook of American Business. REF HG4057 .A28617
Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies. REF HG4057.A28618
Mergent/Moody's Industrial Manual. REF HG4961 .M67
Million Dollar Directory. REF HC102 .D8 (vol.1-5, 1992-1996)
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions. REF HG4501 .S7664
Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors, & Executives. REF HG4057 .A4
Wards Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies. REF HG4057.A56
Ward's Private Company Profiles REF HF5035.W37 1994
North Carolina Companies
Directory of North Carolina Companies. REF HC107.N8 D5
Directory of North Carolina Manufacturing Firms. REF T12 .N6
State Business Directory. REF HF5065.N67 S73
International Companies
Asian Company Handbook. REF HG4009 .A84
Directory of Corporate Affiliations. Ready REF HG4057 .A219
Hoover's Handbook of World Business. REF HG4009 .H66
Mergent/Moody's International Manual. REF HG4006 .M66
Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors & Executives. REF HG4057 .A4
The sources above "U.S. Public Companies", "U.S. Private Companies" and "International Companies" will provide some overview information.
Or Select from Pull down menu "Sources"
Disclosure Online Database (incl. SIC codes)
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions (incl. SIC codes) Print Sources
America's Corporate Families. REF HG4057 .A147
Hoover's Guide to Private Companies. REF HF3010 .H66
Hoover's Handbook of American Business. REF HG4057 .A28617
Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies. REF HG4057.A28618
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions. REF HG4501 .S7664
Standard and Poor's Stock Reports REF HG4907 .S72
Value Line Investment Survey Ready REF HG4501
Wards Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies. REF HG4057.A56
Many directories identify a company's SIC code or codes. see above.
Please note that an SIC Code search cannot be conducted in the following sources: Stock Reports Print Resources
North American Industry Classification System. Ready REF HF1042 .A55 N67
Standard Industrial Classification Manual. Ready REF HF1042 .A55
These manuals do not identify a company by name rather they outline the classification system.
Many directories identify a company's SIC code or codes. see above.
Select one of the following from the Pull down menu "Sources"
Disclosure Online Database
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions
Stock Reports security ownership reports from Nelson's, Vickers and Zacks, plus consensus earnings projections
NAARS - Annual Reports 1984 - 1995
NAARS - Annual Reports 1972 - 1984, Archived
There is also financial information in company annual reports. see below Print Sources
Mergent/Moody's Handbook of Common Stocks. REF HG4905 .M815
Mergent/Moody's Industry Review. REF HG4905 .M85
Mergent/Moody's Industrial Manual. REF HG4961 .M67
Mergent/Moody's International Manual. REF HG4006 .M66
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions. REF HG4501 .S7664
Standard and Poor's Daily Stock Price. REF HG4915 .D3
Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys. REF HC 106.6 .S74 key ratios for some companies within each industry category
Standard and Poor's Stock Guide. REF HG4905 .S436
Value Line Investment Survey. Ready REF HG4501 .V26
Last Update: February 27, 2006
Lexis-Nexis outlines ten steps in a company analysis. This guide covers steps 2-6, listed here.
2. Find the company address, phone number, and ticker symbol (public company) in a directory.
3. Describe the company's primary business, products, and services.
4. Identify the company's industrial classification code (SIC).
5. Review the company's financial statements (public company), conduct a ratio analysis, examine stock performance.
6. Identify current news.
Directories. Directories list the contact
information; company name, address, phone and fax number. They also list other
key pieces of information such as the ticker symbol and the SIC code (Standard
Industrial Classification code) as well as key personnel or company officers.
Some directories list parent companies and/or subsidiary companies.
To find directory information select one of the following Print Sources or go to
Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe, click Business, then Company Financial,
type in company name, select a Source from the pull down menu, select Date
from the pull down menu, then click Search.
Pull down menu "Sources"
Select "U.S. Public Companies"
Includes:
Disclosure Online Database
IRRC Corporate Governance Digest institutional investors, corporations, law firms and others
Nelson's Public Company Profiles
Nelson's Research Firm Profiles investment banks, brokerage firms and independent research firms worldwide
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions
U.S. Business Directory
Pull down menu "Sources"
Select "U.S. Private Companies"
Includes:
Thomson's Bank Directory all U.S. banks and their branches
Thomson's Savings Directory all U.S. savings banks and their branches
U.S. Business Directory
Pull Down menu "Sources"
Select "International Companies"
Includes many of the above plus:
Worldscope-International Company Profiles
Print Sources
U.S. Companies
America's Corporate Families. REF HG4057 .A147
Directory of Corporate Affiliations. Ready REF HG4057 .A219
Dun & Bradstreet/Gale Group Industry Handbook. REF HF5053 .D86
Hoover's Guide to Private Companies. REF HF3010 .H66
Hoover's Handbook of American Business. REF HG4057 .A28617
Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies. REF HG4057.A28618
Mergent/Moody's Industrial Manual. REF HG4961 .M67
Million Dollar Directory. REF HC102 .D8 (vol.1-5, 1992-1996)
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions. REF HG4501 .S7664
Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors, & Executives. REF HG4057 .A4
Wards Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies. REF HG4057.A56
Ward's Private Company Profiles REF HF5035.W37 1994
North Carolina Companies
Directory of North Carolina Companies. REF HC107.N8 D5
Directory of North Carolina Manufacturing Firms. REF T12 .N6
State Business Directory. REF HF5065.N67 S73
International Companies
Asian Company Handbook. REF HG4009 .A84
Directory of Corporate Affiliations. Ready REF HG4057 .A219
Hoover's Handbook of World Business. REF HG4009 .H66
Mergent/Moody's International Manual. REF HG4006 .M66
Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors & Executives. REF HG4057 .A4
Company Overview. Generally the overview includes a brief history of the company, a description of
the company's primary business, products and services. It lists the officers and
locations and much of the directory information. Brief historical financial
statistics are given. It may list a company's competitors and give a financial
forecast.
To find directory information select one of the following Print Sources or go to
Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe, click Business, then Company Financial,
type in company name, select a Source from the pull down menu, select Date
from the pull down menu, then click Search.
The sources above "U.S. Public Companies", "U.S. Private Companies" and "International Companies" will provide some overview information.
Or Select from Pull down menu "Sources"
Disclosure Online Database (incl. SIC codes)
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions (incl. SIC codes) Print Sources
America's Corporate Families. REF HG4057 .A147
Hoover's Guide to Private Companies. REF HF3010 .H66
Hoover's Handbook of American Business. REF HG4057 .A28617
Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies. REF HG4057.A28618
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions. REF HG4501 .S7664
Standard and Poor's Stock Reports REF HG4907 .S72
Value Line Investment Survey Ready REF HG4501
Wards Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies. REF HG4057.A56
Standard Industrial
Classification Code SIC
All companies are classified by the federal government into categories called
industry classifications based on the general product of business line of the
company. This categorization system assigns every business an SIC (Standard
Industrial Classification) code. A new system of categorization called the North
American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) is in the process of being
implemented. The industry classification allow you to compare like companies and
industries.
Directories may contain one or both of these codes.
To find SIC codes select one of the following Print
Sources or go to Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe, click Business, then Company Financial,
type in company name then select a Source from the pull down menu,
(remember the sources which contain directory information listed above), select Date
from the pull down menu, then click Search.
SIC Search Online
[http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html] (find an SIC Code) print manual
Ready REF HF1042 .A55
Links to companies by
SIC Code (Price Waterhouse Coopers) [http://bamboo.tc.pw.com/EdgarScan/sic_list.html]
Many directories identify a company's SIC code or codes. see above.
Please note that an SIC Code search cannot be conducted in the following sources: Stock Reports Print Resources
North American Industry Classification System. Ready REF HF1042 .A55 N67
Standard Industrial Classification Manual. Ready REF HF1042 .A55
These manuals do not identify a company by name rather they outline the classification system.
Many directories identify a company's SIC code or codes. see above.
Financial Records
Lexis-Nexis "Help" provides an excellent description of company
financial records (click and read).
To find company financial statements, income statements, balance sheets and
financial ratios select from the following Print Sources or go to Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe, click Business, then Company Financial,
type in company name, select a Source from the pull down menu, select Date
from the pull down menu, then click Search.
You can find some financial information in a company's annual report. See Annual
Reports below.
Select one of the following from the Pull down menu "Sources"
Disclosure Online Database
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions
Stock Reports security ownership reports from Nelson's, Vickers and Zacks, plus consensus earnings projections
NAARS - Annual Reports 1984 - 1995
NAARS - Annual Reports 1972 - 1984, Archived
There is also financial information in company annual reports. see below Print Sources
Mergent/Moody's Handbook of Common Stocks. REF HG4905 .M815
Mergent/Moody's Industry Review. REF HG4905 .M85
Mergent/Moody's Industrial Manual. REF HG4961 .M67
Mergent/Moody's International Manual. REF HG4006 .M66
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions. REF HG4501 .S7664
Standard and Poor's Daily Stock Price. REF HG4915 .D3
Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys. REF HC 106.6 .S74 key ratios for some companies within each industry category
Standard and Poor's Stock Guide. REF HG4905 .S436
Value Line Investment Survey. Ready REF HG4501 .V26
EDGAR
Database Online annual reports from SEC
Paper Copy: A small, selective collection of annual reports for publicly-traded companies is available in the General Collection. The call numbers on these reports all begin with HD63. A TITLE search of the company name in the Randall Online Catalog will tell you if the Library owns a paper copy for a specific company.
Microfiche: Annual reports for all companies traded on the New York, American, or OTC Stock Exchanges are available in a microfiche collection called SEC File (Microfiche HG4028.B2 S4). Formerly known as Q-file, reports are available in this collection back to 1983. The company name index to the collection is at Ready REF HG4028.B2 S4. Photocopying machines are available for the microfiche ($.10 per page).
Current News
To Search for current news articles in Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe, click on Business, then Business
News. You can limit your articles to Business & Finance, Industry News
or Mergers & Acquisitions (see below). As with any Lexis-Nexis search
remember to select a Date before clicking search. For advanced search
click More Options.
Lexis-Nexis Tip
This form's source selections are:
- Business & Finance: Business and finance news sources and selected business and finance stories from major newspapers.
- Industry News: A variety of industry and trade sources on over fifty industries.
- Mergers & Acquisitions:Selected stories from major US and international newspapers, business journals and business wires on corporate mergers and acquisitions, including news on the buyers and sellers, friendly acquisitions and hostile takeovers, proxy fights, leveraged transactions, and the details of individual acquisition agreements.
Last Update: February 27, 2006