Business Research: Public Companies
Annual Reports
- Columbia Historical Corporate Annual ReportsColumbia University's Watson Library of Business and Economics owns a unique collection of historical annual reports.
The majority of the reports predate the 1934 Securities Exchange Act which regulated and standardized reporting.
Porter's Five Forces
What is a Public Company?
Public companies are owned by shareholders. The shares for these corporations are sold and traded on various stock exchanges.
Information about a public company may be obtained through financial reports, proxy statements to shareholders, company websites, local chamber of commerce, Better Business Bureau and news outlets.
All public companies are required to file quarterly and annual financial reports with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). Annual reports may also be obtained through various print and internet sources.
Plunkett Research Online
SEC Filings
Public companies are required to file the following forms with the SEC:
- 10-K (annual report of a U.S. corporation)
- 10-Q (quarterly report of a U.S. corporation)
- 20-F (annual report of a foreign firm)
You can search information collected by the SEC several ways:
- Company or fund name, ticker symbol, CIK (Central Index Key), file number, state, country, or SIC (Standard Industrial Classification)
- Most recent filings
- Boolean and advanced searching, including addresses
- Key mutual fund disclosures
- Mutual fund voting records
- Mutual fund name, ticker, or SEC key (since Feb. 2006)
- Variable insurance products (since Feb. 2006)