Background Information: Public Companies
By law, publicly-traded companies are required to share their company information. As a result, it is generally easier to locate reliable public company information. Use the Gale Business: Insights database to find out if your company is public, private, or a non-profit, and locate additional background information.
See below for instructions, screenshots, and a short tutorial video.
Still not able to find any background information about your company? Ask your professor or librarians for help.
Search by Company Name
The easiest way to search for a company in the Gale: Business Insights database is to use the search box at the top of the database homepage. Type your company name into the search box and wait for the "Top Suggestions" dropdown to appear, then select the best option (in this case, "GOOGL Alphabet Inc.") from the suggested Company Profiles results.
If the company profile you want doesn't appear in the "Top Suggestions" dropdown, hit enter or click the magnifying glass to see your full search results. Company profiles will appear first in the search results, under the "Companies" heading.
Company Profiles Overview
The short tutorial video below provides an overview of company profiles.
SWOT Reports
Use any of the databases listed below to locate SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) information for your company. The SWOT reports provided by these databases are different, so we recommend checking both for the most comprehensive information.
If you're not able to locate SWOT reports in either of these databases, you will need to search the library's databases for articles discussing your company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
See below for instructions, screenshots, and a tutorial video.
SWOT Reports in Gale Business: Insights
Search for your company as described in "Background Information" above. If a SWOT analysis for your company is available in this database, a "SWOT Analysis" section will appear next to or below the "Company Overview" section. The red circle to the right of center in the image below shows where to find it. Click on the "Read full SWOT analysis" button to view the report.
SWOT Reports in Business Source Complete
We've set up a SWOT analysis search in this database for you! You will only need to add your company name to the second search box using our preset search. The image below is a sample search with the box for entering your company name circled in red.
SWOT Reports Overview
The short tutorial video below provides an overview of SWOT analyses.
Industry Information
Use any of the databases listed below to locate industry information for your company. The industry reports provided by these databases are different, so we recommend checking both for the most comprehensive information. Both databases use NAICS codes, a classification system developed primarily for tax, reporting, and statistical purposes.
If you're not able to locate industry reports for your company in either of these databases, you will need to search the library's databases for articles discussing your company's industry. If you are researching an emerging industry that doesn't yet have an assigned NAICS code, you can also search for information on similar industries.
Industry Information in Gale Business: Insights
Gale Business: Insights is a great source for industry information. The image below shows an example of the industry information section in the Wegmans Food Markets, Inc company profile. You will need to scroll down through the company profile to locate the "Industry" section. Depending on the types of information included in a company's profile, the "Industry" section might be earlier or later in the profile.
Industry Information in Business Source Complete
Business Source Complete is another great source for industry information. It's easiest to get the NAICS industry code from the Gale Business: Insights company profile to use as your search keyword. The images below show an example of searching for industry profiles in Business Source Complete. Type your search keyword into the first search box and select "IC NAICS Code or Description" in the dropdown to the right that search box, then click on the "Search" button. You'll need to narrow your results by using the "Refine Results" option to the left of the results. Scroll down to the "Source Types" section, then click on the "Industry Profiles" checkbox to automatically update your results to only show industry profile reports. The red circles in the images below show where to find these options.
Annual Reports
Publicly-traded companies are required to file documents with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). These documents include annual reports (Form 10-K), quarterly reports (Form 10-Q), and current reports (Form 8-K). Annual reports provide a full view of the company's business for the previous year. Quarterly reports provide updated financial information, and the current report provides important information about major company events. Use the Edgar SEC Company Search to find these documents for your publicly-traded company.