Research Guides: MGMT 425: Strategy &amp; Policy (Batiste): Company Financials

Find Company Financials

Public companies are those that sell stock to the general public, and trade that stock on a stock exchange or over-the-counter market. The U.S. government requires publicly traded companies to file financial statements and annual 10-K reports to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).

There are a number of filings the SEC requires but there are a few that are going to be the most helpful to those looking for what the company does:

10K (annual reports; 10KSB for Small Business Public Companies): This is the financial statement most people are looking for and is an annual filing. Pay particular attention to Item 1, the business description, Item 7, the Management Discussion and Analysis, and the Financial Footnotes. The annual report to shareholders is a separate document but can be "incorporated by reference" into the 10K in some cases.
10Q: This is a quarterly report that is primarily used as an update on the financial information though it can contain other information that is new/important.
S-1: This filing is the registration statement when a private company goes public often seen as IPO.
8K: These filings can vary but can be where announcements of mergers, acquisitions, and other material changes can be made.

Mergent Online This link opens in a new window Summary company records and EDGAR files for over 11,000 U.S. public corporations and 17,000 non-US public companies.
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Value Line Investment Survey Online This link opens in a new window Information and advice on approximately 1700 stocks, more than 90 industries, the stock market, and the economy. Provides year-ahead to three- to five-year probable relative price performance, projections of key financial measures, and commentary on current operations and future prospects. Last 5 years worth of stock information. Allows 3 simultaneous users.
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PitchBook This link opens in a new window Private equity and venture capital database with in-depth information and statistics on companies, deals and investors.
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Create an individual account using your CSULB email address for access. Use this link: https://csulb-pitchbook-com.csulb.idm.oclc.org/universityAction.do?action=newUser

U.S. private companies are not traded on any stock exchange and are not required to file detailed financials with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). Thus, information is sparse and difficult to find. Most companies in the U.S. are privately held. Researching private companies requires out-of-the-box thinking and an understanding that it will likely be hard to find information beyond name and location.

When it comes to researching private companies, the first place to look would be the company's web page if they have one. Never underestimate the information that companies publish on their own web sites. Even if some companies use their web pages as glorified catalogs, brochures, or advertisements how they present that information may still be helpful. Often, for private companies, their web pages may be what provides the most information.

PitchBook This link opens in a new window Private equity and venture capital database with in-depth information and statistics on companies, deals and investors.
- This link opens in a new window
Create an individual account using your CSULB email address for access. Use this link: https://csulb-pitchbook-com.csulb.idm.oclc.org/universityAction.do?action=newUser
Mergent Online This link opens in a new window Summary company records and EDGAR files for over 11,000 U.S. public corporations and 17,000 non-US public companies.
- This link opens in a new window
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Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
Annually published in print from 1905/1906 to 2003. Current information is now available electronically only. It is free but registration may be required.
State Corporations Registerers
Annually published in print from 1905/1906 to 2003. Current information is now available electronically only. It is free but registration may be required.

Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status are required to file Form 990, Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax, with the IRS as a condition of granting tax-free status. The form includes financial statements and background information on the nonprofit, including salaries of key employees (i.e. director, head, officers). Nonprofits are required to give a copy of their latest filing to anyone who asks. All 990 Form information is available from the nonprofit or the IRS. Most are available on the Web. To learn more about nonprofit tax filing visit the IRS site for Charities and Nonprofits. To understand how to read the 990, view this article from The Chronicles of Philanthropy entitled, "Mining the 990: A Guide to Gleaning Key Data From Charities’ Tax Forms."

CitizenAudit.Org
This website currently the only freely available full-text searchable database of full digitized nonprofit financials, with PDFs of the 990 forms back to about 2002.
GuideStar
GuideStar's mission is to promote philanthropy by helping donors, institutional funders, and charities become more informed, effective, and efficient. Site contains GuideStar's searchable database of more than 700,000 U.S. nonprofit organizations, donor resources, news and information.
Foundation Center: 990 Finder
Quick look-up tool for finding 990 forms.