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BUS 495 & MG 495: Team Project Research Guide

a guide for MG 495 students working on their Capstone project

Find Company Reports/Profiles

Overview

This page overviews how to locate company reports. On this page, you will learn how to:

  • Find a company's 10K or international equivalent
  • Search the library databases to find a company report
  • Locate articles related to your company or their competitors utilizing a variety of resources

It is recommended that you utilize reports from multiple sources. Using a combination of information provided by both the company itself, as well as third party reports, can help provide a broader understanding of your company's operations. 

If you need help navigating some of the resources outlined below, please reach out to a librarian for help:

Find a Company’s Annual Report/10K (Public Companies)

In the United States

Publicly traded companies in the U.S. are required to file documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Of these documents, the Annual Report and the 10-K (for domestic companies) and the 20-F (for foreign companies) can provide a wealth of knowledge about a company. These financial statements are designed to inform the public (shareholders, investors, analysts, etc.) about the performance of the company.  

Where can I find these reports?

Companies will host these reports on their corporate websites (be aware that these sites may differ from their user-facing websites). When navigating these websites, look for an “About," “Company Information,” "Financial Reports," or “Investor Relations” link. If you are having trouble finding your company's public records, reach out to a librarian for help.  

Example: Boeing Investor Relations  

You can also find 10-K and 20-F reports in the SEC database, EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval):

As well as through our database, Mergent Online. Search by company name or ticket symbol and select the "Filings" tab:

In Canada

In Canada, there is no federal agency that regulates all security and exchange matters. Instead, this is done at the provincial and territorial level. You can find a list of those regulators here:

Where can I find these reports?

If you would like to search for data across these regulators, the database SEDAR (System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval) provides access to most public securities documents and information filed by companies across Canada. You can access it here:

One particular item to look for is the AIF or Annual Information Form. The AIF discloses comprehensive business and financial information about the issuer during the most recently completed fiscal year. 

SEDAR filings can also be found through our database, Mergent Online. Search by company name or ticker symbol and select the "Filings" tab.

Globally

Like Canada and the U.S., most countries have some form of regulatory agency that handles securities and exchange. You can find a list of these regulators by country here:

Clicking through to the applicable agency page in Wikipedia will often provide you with the regulatory body’s website, where you can search for the annual report or 10-K equivalent for that country.

Use Library Databases to Find Company Reports

CityU Library subscribes to a number of specialized business databases that carry high-quality company reports. Keep in mind that you may have to search in multiple databases to determine which database offers the most relevant and substantial reports for your company or industry.  

Here is a list of databases that carry company reports: 

  • Search by company name or ticker symbol and select the company from results. Use the tabs at the top to navigate the report. 
  1. In Advanced Search, enter your company name in the first search box. 
  2. Scroll down to “Document Type” and choose “Company Report"
  3. Click search. 
  • Search by company name and select the company from the results

Find Journal, Magazine, or News Articles on Companies and their Competitors

Magazine, journal or news articles on your company adds recent data on trends, consumer behavior, advertising, mergers, pricing, etc. Articles are especially useful for finding information about private companies. You can find this type of information by searching the following databases:  

When searching, combine your company name plus any relevant keywords. Make sure to limit your search by date and source type using the filters (located on the left-hand side of the results screen). 

Looking for news and information on local, Seattle-area businesses? Check out Puget Sound Business Journal via the National Business Journal Portal linked above.