Company & Industry Information Guide Ask Us

Company Profiles

When researching a company, the best approach is to use a combination of subscribed databases as set out below: 

1. Get started by searching the Mergent Intellect and/or D&B Hoovers databases (see links below).  What type of company is it? Public, private, subsidiary, foreign-owned?  Private companies are not traded on stock exchanges and therefore information tends to be very limited.


2. For detailed financial statements, use authoritative databases such as FP Advisor (Canadian public companies) or Mergent Online (U.S., Canadian, and some International companies) (links below).


3. To research private equity/venture capital company information on startups, deals and investors, try PitchBook (link below)


4. Company profiles/SWOT analyses are also accessible via Business Source Ultimate (link below)


5. Check for articles about the company by using Business Source Ultimate,  ABI Inform Complete and Canadian Business & Current Affairs (CBCA) Complete (links below)


6. For historic information about U.S. and Canadian companies, try Mergent Archives


7. Check the company's public website as it probably contains current news/information. Look for links on the website such as: About Us, Company Info., News, Investor Relations, Corporate


8. Find current news about the company using the subscribed databases listed below or by accessing our newspaper databases. Use UNB Databases tab above to access our newspaper databases (e.g., Meltwater - Canadian Newspapers & Beyond, PressReader - Worldwide Newspapers, or Financial Times)

Getting Started

• Mergent Intellect
  UNB-subscribed database. Mergent Intellect offers subscribed access to detailed business data for over 200 million public and private U.S., Canadian and international companies. Alongside detailed company research, the "Advanced Search" feature of the Intellect interface provides the opportunity to find executive contact information, build contact/mailing lists and much more.


• D&B Hoovers
  UNB-subscribed database. D&B Hoovers provides company information through a global database of over 120 million company records and business analytics (including financials, contacts, news, reports, triggers, and industry information). It's a great place to begin when researching an unfamilar company. Alongside company information D&B Hoovers can help to build a list of companies to match a customized set of criteria.

Canada

• FP Advisor (formerly Infomart) (Public Companies)
  UNB-subscribed database. FP Advisor is a collection of 12 databases from the Financial Post (FP) that provide access to detailed information about the top publicly-traded companies in Canada.  The collection includes: Company Snapshots, Company Surveys, Corporate Analyzer, Investor Reports, Historical Reports, Industry Reports, Predecessor & Defunct, Mergers & Acquisitions, Dividends, New Issues, Fixed Income, and a Directory of Directors. 


• Mergent Online (Public Companies)
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides access to financial data for publicly-traded U.S. Canadian , and some international companies. Results include: company details/history, executives, ownership, key financials, equity pricing, reports, filings, news, competitors, plus a customized Report Builder. Mergent also offers access to real-time company filings to the SEC (U.S.) and SEDAR (Canada).
  
  Additionally the Mergent Online platform offers access to Investext which provides company, industry, investment and market intelligence reports written by analysts from investment banks, brokerage houses and independent research organizations.


• SEDAR (Public Companies)
  Free resource containing official regulatory filings (1997 - present) of Canadian public companies to the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA). (SEDAR = System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval)


• PitchBook
  UNB-subscribed database. PitchBook is a private equity and venture capital database covering a wide range of companies, as well as startups. It can be used for competitor research to help identify companies that offer similar products or services. Researchers can also track entire private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) lifecycles from fund initiation to company exits, private mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions, and the limited partners, fund managers, advisors, and other key players involved. Researchers can save custom searches and set up email alerts to come daily, weekly, or monthly.
  IMPORTANT NOTE: Each user is required to create a personal Pitchbook account using their valid @unb.ca email address.


• Business Source Ultimate
  UNB-subscribed database. Detailed company profiles/SWOT analyses for the world's 5,000 largest companies are available. Place your mouse over "More" on the blue navigation ribbon at the top of your search screen, then select "Company Profiles" and search for company name; detailed reports are from MarketLine.


• ABI Inform Complete
  UNB-subscribed database. Search company/organization name or use Document Type:Company Profile.


• Canadian Business & Current Affairs (CBCA) Complete
  UNB-subscribed database. Search for company/organization using Canada's largest full-text current events database.


• Mergent Archives
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides access to an indexed collection of Canadian historic corporate and industry-related documents. 


• ThomasNet - Product Sourcing & Supplier Discovery Platform
  Free Resource. Thomas Publishing Company database containing a wealth of information about U.S. and some Canadian suppliers/manufacturers.


• Directories of Canadian Companies
  Free Resource. Provides access to Canada's business registries, federal corporation search and information on Canadian importers. 

United States

• Mergent Online (Public Companies)
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides access to financial data for publicly-traded U.S. and some international companies. Results include: company details/history, executives, ownership, key financials, equity pricing, reports, filings, news, competitors, plus a customized Report Builder. Mergent also offers access to real-time company filings to the SEC (U.S.) and SEDAR (Canada).
  
  Additionally the Mergent Online platform, offers access to Investext which provides company, industry, investment and market intelligence reports written by analysts from investment banks, brokerage houses and independent research organizations.


• EDGAR (Public Companies)
  Free resource containing official regulatory filings (1994 - present) of U.S. public companies to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).  Form 10-K is the annual report that U.S. public companies must file with SEC. (EDGAR = Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System)


• Researching U.S. Public Companies Using EDGAR: A Guide
  Free resource. A U.S> Government guide to using the EDGAR database to research investments. 


• PitchBook
  UNB-subscribed database. PitchBook is a private equity and venture capital database covering a wide range of companies, as well as startups. It can be used for competitor research to help identify companies that offer similar products or services. Researchers can also track entire private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) lifecycles from fund initiation to company exits, private mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions, and the limited partners, fund managers, advisors, and other key players involved. Researchers can save custom searches and set up email alerts to come daily, weekly, or monthly.
  IMPORTANT NOTE: Each user is required to create a personal Pitchbook account using their valid @unb.ca email address.


• Business Source Ultimate
  UNB-subscribed database. Detailed company profiles/SWOT analyses for the world's 5,000 largest companies are included in Business Source Ultimate. Place your mouse over "More" on the blue navigation ribbon at the top of your search screen, then select "Company Profiles" and search for company name; detailed reports are from MarketLine.


• ABI Inform Complete
  UNB-subscribed database. Search company/organization name or use Document Type: Company Profile.


• Mergent Archives
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides access to a vast, indexed collection of U.S. historic corporate and industry-related documents. 


• ThomasNet - Product Sourcing & Supplier Discovery Platform
  Free Resource. Thomas Publishing Company database containing a wealth of information about U.S. and some Canadian suppliers/manufacturers.

International

• Mergent Online (Public Companies)
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides access to financial data for publicly-traded U.S., Canadian, and some international companies.
  
  Additionally the Mergent Online platform offers access to Investext which provides company, industry, investment and market intelligence reports written by analysts from investment banks, brokerage houses and independent research organizations.


• PitchBook
  UNB-subscribed database.PitchBook is a private equity and venture capital database covering a wide range of companies, as well as startups. It can be used for competitor research to help identify companies that offer similar products or services. Researchers can also track entire private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) lifecycles from fund initiation to company exits, private mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions, and the limited partners, fund managers, advisors, and other key players involved. Researchers can save custom searches and set up email alerts to come daily, weekly, or monthly.
  IMPORTANT NOTE: Each user is required to create a personal Pitchbook account using their valid @unb.ca email address.


• Business Source Ultimate
  UNB-subscribed database. Detailed company profiles/SWOT analyses for the world's 5,000 largest companies are included in Business Source Ultimate. Place your mouse over "More" on the blue navigation ribbon at the top of your search screen, then select "Company Profiles" and search for company name; detailed reports are from MarketLine.


• ABI Inform Complete
  UNB-subscribed database. Search company/organization name or use Document Type:Company Profile.


• Companies House
  Free UK Government site. Offers access to UK company listings, regulatory filings and officer information.


• Mergent Archives
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides access to a vast, indexed collection of historic corporate and industry-related documents covering over 100 countries and industries.


• Corporate Register - Global CSR Resources
  Free international directory. Contains company-issued CSR, sustainability, and environmental documents.


• UNdata
  United Nations statistical data for the use of the global user community. Useful features like Country Profiles, Advanced Search and glossaries are provided to aid research.


• World Bank Data Catalog
  The World Bank's Open Data initiative provides users with access to World Bank data. Searchable by Country, By Topic, by Development Indicators


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Company Rankings - Free Internet

• Canadian Business: Growth List - Canada's Fastest Growing Companies
• Canada's Top 100 Employers (Mediacorp Canada Inc.)
• Atlantic Canada's Top Employers (Mediacorp Canada Inc.)
• Fortune - Global 500
• Forbes Global 2000 - World's Largest Public Companies
• Deloitte US - Technology Fast 500 Award Winners
• Entrepreneur - Franchise 500 Ranking
• Forbes - America's Largest Private Companies
• Inc. 5000 2021 - Annual Ranking of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in the U.S

Industry Reports

When researching an industry, try using a combination of resources as set out in the steps below: 

1. Access Reports via the UNB-subscribed database links provided below
2. Find the appropriate Industry Classification codes (information below). You'll discover that some of our business databases and government websites organize their industry information using these special codes for each industry.  
3. Use the Internet Sites tab above for free resources for particular industries
4. Look for current news about the industry by accessing newspapers. Use UNB Databases tab above to access our newspaper databases (e.g., Meltwater - Canadian Newspapers, PressReader - Worldwide Newspapers or CBCA)

Reports

• IBISWorld - US/Canadian & Global Industry Reports
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides a range of comprehensive United States, Canadian and Global industry reports. Industry analysis includes key statistics, market conditions and forecasts, supply chain information, and competitive landscape.

• Statista
  UNB-subscribed database. Statista is a statistics portal that provides business, marketing, demographic, and economic data on 80,000+ topics from over 18,000 sources. Statista has an international focus and the site combines government data that is freely available with proprietary industry facts, reports, dossiers and high-quality infographics.

• Frost & Sullivan
  UNB-subscribed database. Frost & Sullivan provides in-depth full-text market research and strategy reports in various emerging high-technology sectors.

• BCC Research
  UNB-subscribed database.
  Access Instructions: 1. Click link above, 2. Select Member Login, 3. Choose IP Authenticate
  BCC Research produces comprehensive market research reports to assist with market sizing, forecasting and industry intelligence. They cover topic areas such as biotech, engineering, pharmaceuticals, information technology, energy and resources, nanotechnology and photonics.

• First Research Industry Profiles (Mergent Intellect)
  UNB-subscribed database. First Research offers 1000 U.S and Canadian industry profiles plus State/Provincial profiles that are essential for discovering key issues.

• ABI Inform Complete
  UNB-subscribed database.  On ABI's Advanced Search screen, set Document Type to Industry Report and then type the name of the industry.  ABI offers full-text access to industry analysis reports from:

• Fitch Solutions Industry Insight Reports
• Fitch Solutions Country Industry Reports
• FirstResearch Industry Reports

• Mergent Online
  UNB-subscribed database. Alongside quality U.S./international company financial reports, Mergent provides industry and equity reports. On Mergent front screen, select "Industry Analysis" tab then select the appropriate report OR search for a company and then select the company's "Reports" tab then select "Industry Reports" link.

• Investext (via Mergent Online)
  Investext contains current industry, investment and market intelligence reports written by analysts from 1700 investment banks, brokerage houses and independent research organizations. (e.g Barclays, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Marketline, and Wells Fargo).

• Forrester Research
  UNB-subscribed database. Forrester Research is a global research and advisory firm specializing in information and communication technologies (ICT) in the following areas: IT infrastructure, networking, software, eCommerce, digital marketing and cybersecurity.

• D&B Hoovers
  Provides quality company and industry research.

• FP Advisor
  UNB-subscribed database. FP Advisor (formerly Infomart) features historical, investor, corporate information and industry reports for 500 leading Canadian publicly-traded companies

• Business Source Ultimate
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides company profiles, industry reports, and articles from journals and trade publications.  On BSU's Advanced Search screen, set Publication Type to Industry Profile and then type the name of the industry.

• Passport GMID
  UNB-subscribed database. A quality international market research database containing business intelligence and reports across key industries, companies, markets, and consumer-oriented industries in more than 200 categories for 80 countries. Particularly useful for the retail, food, drink, apparel, automotive, health, appliances, electronics, toys, travel, and personal care products industries.

• Information by Industrial Category - Govt. of Canada
  Provides Canadian industry sector intelligence courtesy of Research & Business Intelligence - Government of Canada.

• Industry Sectors - European Union
  Market research on industry sectors courtesy of the Directorate of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs within the European Commission. Useful for current market intelligence in a variety of sectors.

• Mergent Archives
  UNB-subscribed database. Provides access to an indexed collection of historic corporate and industry-related documents covering over 100 countries and industries.

Industry Classification Codes

When undertaking industry research, two of the most important industry classification systems used in North America are NAICS and SIC. Both systems are organized by broad industry categories and subdivided into more specific industries. 

NAICS and SIC codes can be used when searching for industry information in databases such as ABI Inform Complete or Business Source Ultimate.

NOTE: A company does not choose its NAICS code. As such, a NAICS code assigned to a company by a database vendor can differ e.g., Apple Inc. Given the multifaceted nature of Apple Inc. (computers, peripherals, software, mobile phones, TV), it is possible that the company could be assigned a variety of NAICS codes. Careful evaluation is necessary when analyzing a company/industry using NAICS or SIC codes.

• NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)
  Developed in 1997, NAICS codes range between 2-6 digits in length. The most current version of NAICS is 2017. To browse the NAICS codes, click this Statistics Canada link.

• SIC (Standard Industrial Classification)
  SIC codes are an older industry classification system; NAICS was supposed to replace SIC. Some websites and databases still use SIC codes to classify their industry information. To look up a SIC code, click here.

• HS - Harmonized Coding System
  The Harmonized System (HS) is a special 6-digit commodity classification used by U.S., Canadian and Mexican customs agencies. The main purpose of HS is apply a harmonized number in order to apply tariffs that apply to goods. To import/export goods to/from the U.S. or Mexico under NAFTA rules, Canadian companies are required to establish the HS number of your product. To obtain the HS number for your product, contact your nearest Canada Border Services Agency Office: click here for more information.

• National Classifications
  It is important to know that International and European (NACE) industry classifications also exist.  To browse for national classifications, click this link provided by the United Nations Statistics Division.

• Concordances
  To browse descriptions of the direct relationships (concordances) between various classification systems, click here. Eurostat's RAMON provides different versions of classifications along with concordances. Click here to discover more.

When searching for journal/magazine articles, the Business Source Ultimate and ABI Inform Complete databases are usually the best places to begin.

For Canadian articles, consider using Canadian Business & Current Affairs (CBCA) as it contains unique Canadian content that is not available in either Business Source Ultimate or ABI Inform Complete. 

For additional databases, check the Article Databases page of the library website.

Key Resources

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UNB Libraries subscribe to a wide variety of academic journals, magazines, and newspapers, both in print and online. A few titles in Business Administration include:

Journals

• Administrative Science Quarterly
• Harvard Business Review
• Journal of Accounting and Economics
• Academy of Management Review
• Academy of Management Journal
• Journal of Business Ethics
• Journal of Business Research
• Journal of Marketing
• Journal of Marketing Research
• Industrial Marketing Management
• Industry Week/IW
• Journal of Supply Chain Management
• Journal of Consumer Research
• Journal of International Business Studies
• Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences
• Journal of Business Communication
• Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
• Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
• Annual Review of Resource Economics
• MIS Quarterly

Magazines

• Canadian Business (and archived backfiles)
• Bloomberg Businessweek
• The Economist
• Fortune
• Forbes
• Consumer Reports (Print)
• Atlantic Business
• Atlantic Report (Atlantic Provinces Economic Council)

Journal Packages

• Wiley Online Library - Business & Management
• Science Direct – Business, Management & Accounting
• Taylor & Francis Online – Economics, Finance, Business & Industry
• Emerald Journals

Electronic Newspapers - Current

• Wall Street Journal
• Meltwater - Canadian Newspapers & Beyond
• Globe and Mail
• Canadian Business and Current Affairs (CBCA) Complete
• Financial Times (UK)
• PressReader - Worldwide Newspapers

Document Delivery

If a journal article is not available at UNB, it can usually be obtained through our document delivery service.  See the document delivery page for the electronic request form.  Article delivery in print or electronic form takes between 3-7 days.

Getting Started - Company Profiles

Mergent Intellect

D&B Hoovers

Detailed Company Financials

FP Advisor - Canadian Publicly-Traded Companies

Mergent Online - US, Canadian & International Companies

PitchBook - Private Equity & Venture Capital Database

Finding a SWOT Analysis

UNB subscribes to a substantial collection of print and electronic reference tools (dictionaries, encyclopaedias, handbooks, guides, and standards) in the field of Business.

To find additional reference materials, check our Reference Materials database.

Key Resources

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Free Internet Sites

While there is a wealth of information freely available on the internet, not all sites are created equal. Careful evaluation is a critical part of conducting research on the free internet. 

Some reliable industry overviews are produced by Canadian, U.S. and various intergovernmental organizations.  Trade/Industry Association websites can also be an excellent source of information (some sites do require a fee for access). The following sites are just to get you started:

Canada

• New Brunswick Economic & Social Indicators
• Fredericton Chamber of Commerce - Business Directory
• Opportunities NB
  ONB is the province's lead economic development agency mandated to support growth and attract business investment..
• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
• Research and business intelligence - Canada (formerly Industry Canada)
• Canadian Industry Statistics - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada)
• Market Reports - Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (Free Online Registration Required for Access)
• International Trade and Investment - Canada (formerly Industry Canada)
• Statistics Canada

United States

• Data.gov
• International Trade Association - Export Solutions (US Dept. of Commerce)
• globalEDGE (Michigan State University)

Supplier Discovery/Product Sourcing

• Canpages - Free Canadian Business Directory
• Canadian Trade Index - Canadian Version of MacRAE's Industrial Purchasing Directory
• Profile Canada
• ThomasNet - Product Sourcing & Supplier Discovery Platform
• MacRAE's Blue Book - U.S. Industrial & Manufacturing Directory
• EUROPAGES - European directory of suppliers, producers and distributors
• Kompass International - International directory of producers, distributors, service providers, exporters and importers

International

• Corporate Register - Global CSR Resources
• Industry Sectors Overview: European Commission
• Export Sectors: UK Trade & Investment
• Projects & Projects by Sector (World Bank)
• World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): Research and Statistics
• United Nations Statistics Division: Industrial Statistics
• GRI Sustainability Disclosure Database

Trade/Industry Associations

• Canadian Chamber of Commerce - Association Member Directory
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): Gateway to Associations
• GlobalTrade.net (International Trade Services)

Company Rankings 

• Canadian Business: Growth List - Canada's Fastest Growing Companies
• Canada's Top 100 Employers (Mediacorp Canada Inc.)
• Atlantic Canada's Top Employers (Mediacorp Canada Inc.)
• Fortune - Global 500
• Forbes Global 2000 - World's Largest Public Companies
• Deloitte US - Technology Fast 500 Award Winners
• Entrepreneur - Franchise 500 Ranking
• Forbes - America's Largest Private Companies
• Inc. 5000 2021- Inc.com's annual ranking of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S.

Searching Google More Effectively

Some students may not be aware that a Google search can be targeted to search specific government websites.  The following examples offer a couple of strategies to get to industry information on government websites:

Try the following searches in Google:

• nanotechnology site:gc.ca  (will search only Canadian federal government websites)
• nanotechnology site:gov    (will search U.S. government websites)
• nanotechnology site:gov.au (will search Australian government websites)
• nanotechnology site:gov.uk (will search UK government websites)

N.B. Domain names for a particular organization or country can be found at:

Norid:Domain name registries around the world

Along with targeting specific sites you want to search, also try using quotes around words that should appear together e.g., "solar energy" or "geothermal energy."

Government Documents

Our Government Documents, Data, and Maps Department website also provides access to a variety of materials. This web site includes a list of Internet sites of federal, provincial and international governments which provide information sources and publications for downloading, to supplement the collection found in UNB WorldCat.

UNB Libraries is a depository library for the federal Depository Services Program (including Statistics Canada publications), the European Union, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations. Contact the Government Documents Information desk for help.