Researching
a Corporation
Corporate
Profile
First
pull together a profile of the company from the answers
to the following questions. This information
will help you understand the company you are dealing with
and helps guide the rest of your research.
Sample
Questions
(search
terms will either be in bold or in brackets at the end of
each question)
* Who are the executives and board of directors? How much
do they get paid (and other compensation)?
How much stock do they own? What affiliations do they have
(see people research)?
*
What are the financial indicators for the firm? (profit,
debt, sales, growth,
etc.) [earnings]
*
What are the worker indicators? (Number
of employees, occupational categories, union
base, wage levels)
*
What is the parent/subsidiary structure of the firm? [subsidiar*,
branch, facilit*]
*
Where does the company have facilities? Where is it Headquartered
(address and phone number)? [headquarters]
*
What major products does it produce?
*
Is the company involved in business outside the industry
you are investigating?
*
What do the firm's leaders articulate as goals for the firm's
development? What are their business plans for the coming
year? What are areas of growth/downsizing? How do they see
themselves in the industry?
*
Roughly, what is the production or service delivery process?
*
Is it a public or private company?
*
Who are the major stockholders?
*
Who is the stock analyst?
Information
Sources
Company
website
Try
using Google
(www.google.com)
and the search string: "name of company" to find
the page. Often the web address will be www.nameofcompany.com
Company web pages will often list branches/subsidiaries/facilities
locations, provide overview of company operations, give
company policy on such issues as the environment and diversity,
company press releases, SEC filings, annual reports, product
listings, executives and other useful information.
Company
Information websites
Public
company:
Hoovers
http://www.hoovers.com
Gives a nice company profile and links you to SEC filings,
company annual report, recent news stories, company's website,
and occasionally positive social/environmental profile information.
American
City Business Journal http://bizjournals.bcentral.com
"American City Business Journals Inc. is the nation's
largest publisher of metropolitan business newspapers, serving
40 of the country's most vibrant markets." Use pull
down menu to choose city. Very helpful IF your city/region
is listed. Useful for information on private companies.
PR
Newswire http://www.prnewswire.com
Has press release news stories on companies. See Company News
on left hand side of page. Good for private companies.
For
additional sources, check out our Company
Information guide.
Publications
at your local library (most come in print and/or electronic
format):
*
Directory of Corporate Affiliations
* Twin Plant Guide
* American Business Directory (aka
US Business Directory)
* Dun & Bradstreet (Dun's Market
Identifiers, Dun's Business Rankings)
* Standard & Poor's
* Moody's Investors Manuals
* Companies and Their Brands
* International Directory of Corporate
Histories
* Hoover's Handbook of American Business
and Hoover's Guides
* Million Dollar Directory
* Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
State
Filings
State
governments require less information from privately held
corporations located in their states than they did previously.
In many states, companies do not have to do more than give
their name, address, and stockholders or owners.
DataCenter
has access to filings for each state via Lexis-Nexis, which
also allows us to name search for executives or multiple
companies at the same address (establishing connections
between "shell corporations").
To
request a filing from the California Secretary of State,
submit a request in person or in writing to: Sec. of State,
1350 Front Street, Suite 2060, San Diego, CA 92101-3609.
Copies are $1 for the 1st page and .50 for each page thereafter.
If you are unsure of the amount, enclose a blank check not
to exceed a certain dollar amount (clerk will fill in and
notify re the amount). It's an additional $10 to do in person.
The filing contains officers, addresses, and phone number
of a corporation (it does not contain by-laws).
General
Press
Northern
Light http://www.northernlight.com
Search over 130 Million Web pages and articles of more than
5,400 full text sources. Sources include some alternative
press. Service is free, but a charge from $1 - $4 for articles
from "Special Collection". Also has Investext
(stock market analysts reports).
DowJones
News Retrieval http://www.djinteractive.com
Available on the web for a $69 yearly fee and a document
charge to view anything more than a headline. Document charges
range from $2.95 for articles to over $100 for some reports.
Only source for the Wall Street Journal full text.
Lexis-Nexis
http://www.nexis.com
You can gain access to Lexis-Nexis through your local university
(if you have a member, staff, volunteer, or intern who is
a student there) or you may consider setting up an account
with Lexis-Nexis, if your organization will be doing extensive
research (with negotiating you can get an account for as
low as $250 per month). Databases of primary importance
are News and Company.
*
Vickers: Stockholder information, including top ten institutional
investors, number of shares (current and previous quarter),
and value of shares.
* Nelson Reports: Stock analysts (they analyze stock and put
it on the market for capital)
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