LibGuides: Company Information: Financial Information

Public/Private - What's the difference?

The difference in one word is disclosure. Public companies must disclose information; private companies do not have to disclose any information. In the US, public companies must comply with the regulations of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).

The exception is the very small number private companies with public debt that are also required to file annual reports with the SEC.

Information about the remaining private companies is difficult to locate and frequently cannot be verified.

Public Companies - Available 24/7 On- and Off-Campus

The financial information available in the following electronic resources are downloadable into Excel.

Factiva This link opens in a new window
1. Click the Companies/Markets tab. 2. Enter the company name and select from listing. 3. Each report contains limited summary financial data.
Business: Insights This link opens in a new window
1. Search on the Company Name.2. Click on the Financials link from the Company Profile

Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage
1. Click on the Company tab and enter the name of the company. 2. Summary financials are provided. 3. The Industry Surveys link provides comparative summary financial information for the previous 10 years.
Lexis Nexis Academic
1. Click on the box labeled Content and select Company Profiles.
2. Click on the box labeled Advanced Options and select Hoover's. Click Apply.
3. Type the Company Name in the dialog box.
4. Select the Hoover's Company Record - In-Depth Profile

WRDS This link opens in a new window
1. WRDS replaces Research Insight - North America
2. Library link provides a 24 hours password; follow on-screen directions
3. Easy to navigate interface with prompts to select data
4. Library link does not allow you to save and continue your work at a later time
You must register for an account to use WRDS. If you haven't already, go to the registrations page, and complete the form, using your HOFSTRA email address.

Public Companies - pre-EDGAR

Summary financial information, available 24/7, on- and off-campus.

Mergent Web Reports
1. Click on the Corporate Manuals Search tab.2. Enter the name of the Company.3. Choose the Manual type.4. Select the Year (earliest available is 1909)

Public Companies - On-Campus Access Only

DATASTREAM

Access restricted to Axinn Library. Long runs of historic data available downloadable into Excel.

Private Companies

Financial information about privately held companies is difficult to locate, that is why they are private. Follow the links in the Company Profile tab to find information about these companies.

The only exception to this rule is in the very rare cases when a privately held company has public debt (bonds) and is then required to file a 10-K with the SEC.These filings are found in Mergent Online.