Business

Use the boxes to investigate various types of Business research.

How to find a company's annual and quarterly financial reports:

Mergent Online

• Select the databases you wish to search (USA Company, International Company, active or inactive) and type company name in search window
• Select company name from list
• Select Company Financials tab for complete access to annual and quarterly financials, going back 35 years
• Select Reports tab to view the company's annual reports
• Select Filings tab to view the official filings with the SEC

Financial documents (10K, 10Q, etc) that each corporation files with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available:

• Search the Next-Generation EDGAR System: Since 1934, the SEC has required disclosure in forms and documents.

How to find company histories:

Company histories are available in two Ritter Library databases.

• Enter a company name into the main search window
• Select your company and open the History link on the Company Details tab

• Select Company Profiles under More tab
• Enter company name, click Browse
• Open MarketLine report (if available), and go to History in table of contents

How to find company financial ratios:

Thirty years of annual company ratios are available in Mergent Online.

• Search by company name in the basic search
• Select your company and open the Company Financials tab
• Select Ratios

How to find industry financial ratios:

Industry norms and ratios for over 800 lines of U.S. business as defined by SIC classifications are searchable in Mergent Archives (1982-2023--Select D&B Manuals; then Key Business Ratios; then use the drop down menu in Book to select Industry Norms & Key Business Ratios).

Detailed ratios for specific industries, utilizing NAICS classifications, are also available in BizMiner and IBISWorld databases.

How to find a company's NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) or SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) numbers:

Ritter Library has two databases which provide NAICS codes for public corporations and larger private companies.

Business Source Complete lists NAICS and SIC numbers for public corporations.

• Open the Company Information search option in the blue menu bar at the top of the basic search page
• Enter the company name or ticker symbol
• Select the Industry section to see the NAICS or SIC numbers

Mergent Online lists primary and numerous secondary NAICS and SIC numbers for each company.

• Enter a company name in the basic search
• Select the company and open the Business link under the Company Details tab

If you are researching a smaller private company, try Reference Solutions (formerly Reference USA), available through Cleveland Public Library. You will need a CleveNet or Greater Access library card (available through Cleveland Public Library) in order to access this resource.

The official websites for searching the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and the Standard Industry Classifications (SIC) provide complete descriptions of the classification numbers.

How to find a company's competitors and information about the industry in which the company operates:

Mergent First Research offers profiles of over 900 industry segments.

• Enter search by keyword or industry code
• Provides access to industry overviews, recent news, quarterly industry updates, industry forecasts, and more!

MarketLine Reports, which are available in Business Source Complete are an excellent source for identifying competitors.

• Select Company Profiles under More tab
• Enter company name, click Browse
• Open MarketLine report (if available), and go to Top Competitors in table of contents

IBISWorld provides excellent industry data in a visual format including a list of major companies.