Databases
The following databases are excellent sources of information for company information.
Company Histories
International Directory of Company Histories
Provides histories of companies that are a leading influence in a particular industry or geographic location.
Annual Reports
The primary source of corporate financial information is from the annual report issued by the company itself. Many companies provide reports on their websites, usually located in the About or the Investors section of the website.
SEDAR - Canada
The System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval is the electronic filing system for disclosure documents of public companies and mutual funds across Canada.
https://www.sedarplus.ca
- Key reports to look for: Annual Report, Management Discussion & Analysis (MD&A), Annual Information Form
EDGAR Database of Corporate Information - US
The Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Provides U.S. 10Ks and other filings.
https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html
- Key reports to look for: K-10 (Annual Report), Q-10 (Quarterly Report - unaudited financial statements), 8-K (Current report - preliminary earnings announcement)
AnnualReports.com
Provides over 2,200 Annual Reports and related financial information covering the majority of the Fortune 500 companies.
http://www.annualreports.com/
Background Information
Company websites and annual reports provide company generated information, so you may want to use Business Source Complete [example], Canadian Business and Current Afffairs [example], and/or Business Insights: Global [example]to start your search for a more unbiased approach to company information. Both databases provide options for searching for company names.
Industry Canada: Business Intelligence and Research
Industry sector data, financial benchmarks, labour trends and business statistics.
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ic1.nsf/eng/h_00066.html?OpenDocument&%3fcategories=e_bis
Canadian Company Histories
Profiles of Canada's largest and most influential companies.
HD2809.C35 1995 v.1
FP Survey - Industrials
(former title: Financial Post Survey of Industrials)
Financial and operational information on more than 3,000 publicly traded Canadian manufacturing and service companies, plus their subsidiaries and affiliates.
REFERENCE HG5151.F53 2014
FP Survey - Mines & Energy
(former title: Financial Post Survey of Mines and Energy Resources)
Financial and operational information on over 3,000 mining and energy companies in Canada, plus their subsidiaries and affiliates. Use the alphabetical General Index at the front.
REFERENCE HD9506.C2F51 2001
FP Survey - Predecessor & Defunct
(former title: Financial Post Survey of Predecessor and Defunct Companies)
Records changes to Canadian public corporations covering 70 years with the details of name changes, amalgamations, takeovers, and acquisitions. Also includes companies being wound up, and/or dissolved, and companies for which charters have been cancelled or struck from the provincial registers.
REFERENCE HG4009.F56 2001
Yahoo! Finance
Contains some of the best investment content on the Web.
https://finance.yahoo.com/
Crunchbase
A good source for discovering current information and data for company and industry intelligence.
https://www.crunchbase.com/
Directories
A number of directories in the Reference Collection on the Main Level will provide information on product manufacturers and include their addresses, trade names, and the names of company officers. Financial information is provided in some, as well.
Directory of Canadian Companies
Registering as a Canadian supplier, searching for competitors and checking a company's incorporation status.
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/business/research/directoriescanadiancompanies.html
Chamber of Commerce - Greater Charlottetown Area Member Directory
Contains an alphabetical listing of businesses as well as a breakdown by type of business. http://charlottetownchamber.chambermaster.com/list
Chamber of Commerce - Greater Summerside Area Member Directory
Contains an alphabetical listing of businesses as well as a breakdown by type of business. http://www.summersidechamber.com/meet-our-members/
Dun & Bradstreet: Business Directory
Some free content.
Europages: The European Business Directory
Provides information on over 500,000 companies in 35 European countries. Searchable by product or service, company name, or subject category. Search results can be limited by country or region within a country.
http://www.europages.com/
Financial Services Canada
Alphabetical, geographical, executive name, and website/email indices are provided.
REFERENCE HG185.C2F47 2013 & 2014
Forbes Lists
Provides a listing of the world's largest public companies and America's largest private companies.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/
Inter-Corporate Ownership
A reliable index of who owns and/or controls public, private, and crown corporations in Canada. Divided into two sections-–a Corporate Ownership Section and an index. The Corporate Ownership Section shows the names of all holding and held companies, and the respective ownership percentages in a tiered format, with each succeeding level indented. Since 2000, Inter-Corporate Ownership is available on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM version is published quarterly and includes information up to the first month of that quarter. Contact Data and Research Services Department for most current edition.
P.E.I. Corporate/Business Names Registry
The database contains information on all companies either formed in Prince Edward Island or licensed to do business in PEI. Includes information on incorporated companies, nonprofit associations, business names, limited partnerships, licensed extra-provincial companies, cooperatives, and licensed insurance companies. You can search according to registration number, business name, and registration type.
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/feature/pei-business-corporate-registry-original#/
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
A comprehensive listing of American manufacturing firms available on the Web at http://www.thomasnet.com/index.html
Date Revised: 17-May-2020 by Donald Moses, MLIS