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Company Research Guide

This Bentley Library research guide was created to provide a starting point for researching companies.

Public Companies: 10-K Annual Filing

First Step for Public Company Research: 10-K Annual Report

Public companies are required to file financial information with the SEC. Each year a public company will produce a 10-K annual report.*  This report provides valuable information that goes beyond the balance sheet and income statements. Usually, the entire year is recapped and you will learn about the external and internal forces affecting the company.

Read the 10-K closely, especially these two sections:

  1. Item 1: Business
  2. Item 7: Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") 

*A a foreign company (a "foreign private issuer") that trades in the United States files a Form 20-F annual report. A foreign company files a 20-F if 50% or less of its outstanding voting securities are held by U.S. investors; once a company crosses that threshold it must file the same SEC forms as a U.S. company.

You can you usually locate a company's 10-K on the "Investor" section of the company's web site. The library databases listed on the Financial Information page of this guide also contain 10-Ks and other SEC filings.

Best Sources for Comprehensive Information

These are the best library resources for retrieving a company profile and comprehensive company information.

  • Search Tip: Search using the company's name or ticker symbol ro retrieve a company profile. Then, use the links on the left side of your screen to explore related information, such as equity research (stock reports), investment research, financials, news, etc.
  • Search Tip: On the landing page, click on the [Find a Company] tile underneath the search box. Search using the company's name or ticker symbol.

Search for a Company Profile:

  1. Enter the company name in the search box and click the magnifying glass to run your search.
  2. On the results page, select the Source Type drop-down button under the search box and select Company Profiles (if available), then click Apply. Note: profiles are not available for all companies.

Browse for a Company Profile:

  1. On the landing page, click on the [Company Profiles by Industry] tile.
  2. Browse the list or enter the company name in the search box. If available, search results will include a MarketLine Company Profile. Note: profiles are not available for all companies. 
  • Search Tip: On the landing page, start by clicking on [Companies], in the top navigation bar. Search for a company by name. After you've performed a search, look for the [Local Company Profile] or [Global Company Profile] report. (Not all companies will have a company profile)

Create Lists of Companies by Industry, Location & More

Use these databases to look up individual companies and to generate lists of companies using detailed search criteria, such as industry (NAICS or SIC Code), number of employees, sales, location (country, state, city, zip code), company status (public or private), and more.
  • Search Tip: Compile a list of companies based on a variety of criteria (NAICS code, size, geography, etc.). On the landing page, click on the [Find a Company] tile underneath the search box, then click on [Advanced Search Filters]. Select all the filters you are interested in applying (e.g. sporting goods retailers with more than 25 employees located in Massachusetts), then click search to generate a list. Use the [Manage Columns] dropdown to add additional information/data columns to the display. 
  • Search Tip: Click on the [Browse All Companies] button. Use the drop-down boxes to select criteria (geography, revenue, industry) to generate a list of companies.