The phrase company report can refer to various reports, from a generic company overview to a particular type of curated report. The type of company report you need depends on the information you need, and you may need to review more than one type to get a complete picture of a company. Let's review the most common company reports and where to go to find them.
Provides an overview of the company, related business lines, industry affiliations, competitors, and financials.
Produced for investors or shareholders; describes a company's financial condition and operations from the previous year. Also called a stockholder report.
Provides regulatory document(s) that all publicly-held companies must file with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission; provides essential information to current and potential shareholders.
Contains balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, shareholder equity, and financial ratios. Sources of information include company annual reports, SEC filings, and press releases.
Analyzes a company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Guides investors on whether to invest in a particular company. Authored by financial professionals, such as investment banks or brokerage houses, and usually published quarterly and include valuable qualitative analysis.
It's rare to find a company report that includes all the information you need to analyze a company. Additionally, the publishing schedule for each report varies – some may update quarterly or annually, while others may go years before they're updated. So, what do you do to get the most current information on your company? You'll want to check business publications, news reports, and press releases for any updates on your company, including their strategy, products, services, or executive suite.
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Finding company reports isn't easy, and it can be hard to know which one to pick to find the information you need. If you're stuck or frustrated because you can't find what you need, we're here to help!
Our Get Started with Company Research guide provides several tips on researching a company that can help you streamline your research and maximize your efforts. We recommend checking it out, especially if you're new to company research or at the start of your research.
