Find articles, data, or books at USA

Request articles or books not owned by USA

Access course reserves

Utilize learning tools

Get research assistance

Check your library account

How do I ….?

Learn more about Library Services

Company Profiles & News

This guide lists sources which provide company profiles & news. 

The guide focuses on suggested strategies and best places to begin research efforts. For information & assistance in using any of the sources, please contact library staff:

• In person, at the MCOB Library Service Desk
• By phone @ 251-414-8067
• By email @ dlharrington@usouthal.edu

---

Company Web Pages:

Most companies provide information via their virtual storefront or Web page including financial statements, product information, company history, and news releases.  Aspects of the corporate culture may also be ascertained by website design, and the way the company and its products are advertised. 

Most company websites follow this URL format:     http://www.companyname.com

---

Other Suggested Resources:

Alabama Business Directory
MCOB Reference HF 5065 .A37 A34

Alabama Industrial Directory
MCOB Reference T 12 .A42

Business & Company Resource Center [AVL Access for community researchers]
A comprehensive database for industry and company information including company profiles, company brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, chronologies, and periodicals. Search this database to find detailed company and industry news and information. Coverage is from 1980 to the present.

• Click on the 'Company' graphic from the database home page.
• Enter a company name, choose 'ultimate parent', then click on 'Search'.
• From the results list, click on the specific company.
• Review the tabs across the top of the screen and click on 'Rankings' for access to sources such as Business Rankings Annual and Market Share Reporter.
• Review the tabs across the top of the screen for further information including news, company history, investment reports, financials and products.
• Click on the 'Company Profile' tab at the top of the screen and look to the left of the screen for company news broken down by topic/functional area (products & services, sales & marketing, statistics, strategy and planning).

Business Source Premier [AVL Access for community researchers]
(EBSCO) - Datamonitor Company Profiles
Business Source Premier provides access to Datamonitor Company Profiles which provide  a company profile written by an investment stock analyst.   These profiles include the basic history & key facts, however, they also provide products & services analysis, SWOT analysis, company view, & latest company expert views. 

For Company Profiles:

• Click on 'Company Profiles' at the top of the screen.
  
• Type in your company name or browse reports.

For Company News:

• Click on the 'Advanced Search' tab at the top of the search page.
• In the first search box, use the pull-down menu and select 'CO company entity' and enter the name of your company.  Note:  Company names may be entered in various ways--ex.  IBM versus International Business Machines.
• In the remaining search boxes, use 'default terms' and enter additional words such as marketing, personnel, strategy, etc. 
• Click the 'search' button at the top of the screen.

Europages
European company listings searchable by company name, product or service, and business sector.  Includes company catalogs, yellow pages, and business news links.

Hoover's Company Records (In-depth) via Lexis-Nexis Academic
Provides profiles of over 500 major enterprises including overviews, officers, brief financial data, products and brands sold, rankings and major competitors. It is particularly valuable for the section that describes who founded the company and when, and gives a brief history of the company's development.

• Click on ‘Business’ from the left menu bar.
• Next, click on 'Company Profiles'.
• Use the pull-down menu to select 'Hoover's' as the source, select 'previous 2 years' as the date, and search by company name or ticker symbol. 
• On the results list, choose 'Hoover's Company Records - In-depth).

(Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce) Membership Directory & Buyer's Guide
MCOB Reference HF 5068 .M6 M6
The online membership directory can be searched by business name, business category or by keyword.

Mergent Online
USA Library subscribes to the U.S. Company and International Company Data modules that provide a wealth of data for over 15,000 NYSE, AMEX, and NASDAQ companies & over 20,000 non-US based corporations.

• Conduct a 'Basic Search' for your company's name or ticker symbol.
• Next, click on your company's name on the results list.
• Click on the various tabs across the top of the screen for detailed information (Company Details, Company Financials, EDGAR (SEC Documents), News, & Tear Sheets (Stock performance snapshot)). 

Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage

• At the top right of the screen, see the Publication Search box .
• Select 'Company Profile' from the Select Publication drop-down menu.
• Select ticker or company name from the Search By drop-down menu.
• Enter your company's name or ticker symbol in the text box and click on the gold arrow.
• When the Company's Profile appears on the screen, review other company sources on the left menu bar.

Note: Refer to the NetAdvantage User Guide for information on how to search the database.

Thomas Global Register
Worldwide directory of manufacturers, searchable by product, service or company name. May require a free registration process before use.

Thomas Register
After a free registration process, use this directory to locate companies and products manufactured in North America.  Users may also view thousands of online company catalogs and websites, view Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings, and place orders online.

Back To Top

Last Updated: 7/18/07 DLH