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Intro to Company & Industry Research Shana Gass, MSLS Reference Librarian Cook Library Towson University September 2009.

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Presentation on theme: "Intro to Company & Industry Research Shana Gass, MSLS Reference Librarian Cook Library Towson University September 2009."— Presentation transcript:

1 Intro to Company & Industry Research Shana Gass, MSLS sgass@towson.edu Reference Librarian Cook Library Towson University September 2009

2 Why Company & Industry Research? What would you want to know? Which sources would you consult to find out?

3 LexisNexis Academic Company Dossier Smorgasbord of company information Background, business description, competitors, financials, news, law cases, patents!! Custom report Cook Library Database

4 Also in Lexis Nexis: Hoover’s In-Depth Company Profiles Public & private, US & International Financials, personnel, subsidiaries History & Recent happenings Updated frequently In LexisNexis Academic, Cook Library Database

5 Company Web Site: Annual Report Means of communicating with shareholders Annual 10-K req’d by SEC & includes detailed financials Where to find Annual Reports: Company web site: Investor Relations LexisNexis Academic > Business Key section: Letter to Shareholders, Management’s Discussion & Analysis Learn about: Biz details, Strategy, Competition Financials Lawsuits, shareholder action How company wants to present itself

6 Company Web Site: Annual Report Communication w/shareholders SEC official filing: Annual 10-K includes additional financials, fewer glitzy graphics Key sections of AR: Letter to Shareholders, Management’s Discussion & Analysis* (*this also in 10-K) Learn about: Biz details, Strategy, Competition, Risks Financials Lawsuits, shareholder action Look for link to Investors

7 Industry Associations Represent the industry – members are companies Can be regional, national, international Goldmine of info: news, statistics, advocacy Strategy: Identify a relevant industry association and mine its web site Tips: try a directory (ex: Gateway to Associations) or a Google Search: [industry name] association OR organizationGateway to Associations NB: They also publish trade publications & are quoted as authorities in newspaper articles

8 ValueLine Industry & Company Information Investment perspective Financials & Stock performance Analysis Ranking of companies & industries  Timeliness = how well VL analyst thinks stock will perform in next 6-12 mos. 1 is the best  Safety = VL’s measure of volatility 1 is the least volatile Cook Library Database

9 Datamonitor SWOTs & Industry Profiles In Business Source Complete Steps: Do a simple search for company or industry Under narrow by source…click on …SWOT Analyses …Industry Profiles Datamonitor reports embargoed for academic market – may be a bit old In Cook Library Database

10 Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage – Industry Surveys Environment Trends How the industry operates How to analyze the industry Financials for leading companies Sources of Industry info  Industry publications  Trade organizations Cook Library Database

11 More Research Tips! http://pages.towson.edu/sgass/courses

12 Questions? …feel free to contact me! Shana Gass (410) 704-2395 sgass@towson.edu *preferredsgass@towson.edu Or any reference librarian: Cook Library Web Site > Ask a Librarian for options


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