Company Research

When searching financial information it is very important to obtain accurate data. Pay attention to when the report was written/filed, the currency used in the report (i.e. dollars vs. euro), whether the numbers are "estimates" and the source of the information.

Early in any company search, most likely while obtaining a company profile, pay attention to whether or not the company is public or private.

A public company, or a publicly traded company is one where the company has sold stocks in stock trades such as the New York Stock Exchange. These companies are overseen by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and must file their financial information with the SEC, making it easy for anyone to assess the financial health of the company. Public companies, because they are able to sell stock, or shares in their company are able to raise funds for their own use.

A private company is one that is owned by an individual, family, or group of individuals that wish to keep a tight control over their company. Private companies do not need to share their financial information the way that public companies do, and it can sometimes be challenging to find out about the financial health of a private company.  Be very aware that the financial data on a private company may be over a year old, and may be listed as an "estimate" only.

Library databases store financial information on millions of companies. For financial data on a private company start with LexisNexis Academic.