Guide to Research on Publicly-Traded Companies

When doing research on a publicly-traded corporation, check various sources to get a complete profile. The Internet is full of good and bad information on public companies, so be sure to know the reliable sources. Look for sources that offer comparative analysis of various companies.

The information you research is likely going to impact how you do business, so be sure you can rely on it. When looking up information on public companies, review the following items to get a complete analysis:

1. Earning estimates, trends and performance for a publicly-traded company
2. Analyst ratings and reports on publicly-traded companies
3. Company ownership information and SEC filings in public company profiles
4. Stock quotes, charts and performance for the company

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use reliable sources to find research on publicly-traded companies

The amount of information available online about a publicly-traded corporation can be overwhelming. Get to know a few reliable sources that you can depend on for your investing needs. Credible news sources often offer the latest research on companies, along with stock quotes and PR feeds. News organizations can also allow you to set up e-mail notifications when breaking news happens on the company you are researching.

I recommend: Yahoo! Finance has company profiles by industry. Forbes has a list of the largest publicly-traded companies. MSN Money also has the latest news and information on companies.

Compare a publicly-traded company against others in the industry

When doing research on publicly-traded companies, begin by comparing them against others in the same industry. Compare stock quotes, company performance and trends against one another. Research publicly-traded companies to make key decisions within your business. When researching public companies, you need a broad view of the other companies in the same sector.

I recommend: The New York Stock Exchange has a list of publicly-traded companies. Investor Guide offers a list of companies with links to the company website. Financial Times has company research by sector.

Use online tools to follow a publicly-traded corporation

Online tools can do much of the research for you, from e-mail alerts when something changes on a company to stock tickers on your desktop. You can also use online news feeds to get the latest research on a company. These feeds can be viewed on a variety of sites or can sometimes be added to your blog.

I recommend: MarketWatch has tools to follow a stock, get news feeds on a company and e-mail alerts. TheStreet.com has screeners for any company stock or data. Kiplinger.com has tools and calculators for public company analysis.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Read blogs and columns about a publicly-traded corporation to get a full perspective.
• There are reports available on publicly-traded companies for a fee prepared by investment companies.

The official source of Research on Publicly-Traded Companies is
the Research on Publicly-Traded Companies page at Business.com